DOT Secretary Buttigieg visits Global Air Drone Academy

August 13, 2021 | AUVSI News

On a summer afternoon, a drone flew above the Global Air Drone Academy (GADA) in Baltimore, Maryland – but this time, it wasn’t being flown by a summer camp student learning about drones. This flight was piloted by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, with the Mayor of Baltimore City, Brandon Scott, and the Academy’s students and mentors in attendance.

GADA is a nonprofit that is working to broaden access to STEM education worldwide and to build the next generation of professional drone pilots. Since 2016, GADA has conducted trainings for more than 6,000 students in nine countries, including through summer camp programs in the organization’s hometown of Baltimore.

It was an absolute honor to host the U.S. Transportation Secretary, @secretarypete yesterday in Baltimore. Secretary Pete talked to our students about the importance of STEM technology and the emerging opportunities of the future! Thank you so much to @FAADroneZone @FAA_Steve!! pic.twitter.com/YitgiwqTsV

— Global Air Drone Academy (@gadroneacademy) July 30, 2021

GADA provides a STEM-based learning experience so that students of a variety of ages and backgrounds, especially those from underserved communities, can learn about drone engineering, coding, and entrepreneurship in this growing industry. Through the Academy’s programming and partnerships with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other organizations, students are guided through a pipeline toward a future career as a drones-as-a-service pilot, entrepreneur, or founder of their own drone company.

GADA co-founder Austin Brown shared how kids get excited when they feel empowered with hands-on learning opportunities. “It broadens their perspectives, so they want to learn more about what’s next and what else they can learn to build,” he shared.

On the day Secretary Buttigieg visited GADA, he was in Baltimore to talk about infrastructure investments with Mayor Scott. At GADA, he talked to students about how with STEM education, they will be the future workforce, whether as pilots of the future Secretary of Transportation. He acknowledged that the gap of underrepresented groups and women in STEM careers and urged students to “stay the course” with their education. After his remarks, he flew a commercial-grade quadcopter drone in the parking lot.

“We were honored to have the Secretary and Mayor attend a class,” said Brown. “Experiences like that stick with a child for a lifetime, and it means a lot when public figures at every level of government come and share messages with the students.”

Visiting students at Baltimore’s Global Air Drone Academy today and decided to take a little test drive. pic.twitter.com/ZP95f3pqfk

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 29, 2021