Staff Report

MIAMI – Miami Dade College (MDC) is the recipient of a $25,000 contribution from AT&T for its new program, DronesUp, an intensive eight-week training course that provides live flight sessions and lectures to master the art of safe drone technology and operation. The do- nation is being made through a collaboration between MDC’s Eig-Watson School of Aviation, the Idea Center, and the MDC Foundation.

The award coincides with MDC’s launch of a new session of DronesUp, a combination of in-class instruction with live flight- training sessions. Students who complete the program will earn an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) course completion certificate, having mastered proper flight control and hardware maintenance for safe and legal flight within U.S. airspace. Students will also develop an enhanced understanding of how drones are changing diverse industries, including agriculture, real estate, health care, and more. Drones will be provided for flight sessions.

Instructors from MDC’s Eig-Watson School of Aviation provide the drone training, while the Idea Center, MDC’s hub for innovation, educates students regarding the business aspects of the industry. This combination of theory and hands-on learning prepares students for careers as commercial drone pilots.

AT&T is an advocate of drone technology, and its national drone program is driving innovation and technology as it focuses on enhancing its network and developing advanced solutions for its customers. Together, MDC and AT&T are moving toward the future by pushing the envelope on what’s technologically possible for drones.

For more information about DronesUp, please visit http://theideacenter.co/drone- sup