Twenty-Eight Middle School students from the Shandong Province in China will be visiting Central New York on July 23^rdand making a stop at SUNY Polytechnic Institute for drone training by SUNY students and local drone enthusiasts.  The meeting, set up with the SUNY Academy of Model Aeronautics University Model Aviation Student Club (AMA UMASC) and CNY Drones, will provide the middle schoolers with an introductory lesson in flying drones.  The CNY Drones developed program, known as Experience FPV, gives participants the opportunity to fly Tiny Whoop class drones using First Person View (FPV) goggles and flight controllers.  A dozen SUNY AMA and CNY Drones volunteers will be on hand to guide the students using flight simulators and micro-drones inside the SUNY Field House.  The students are part of the Bright Visions Education Groups’ traveling Summer Camp.  In addition to their stop at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the group will be visiting other area locations including the Herkimer Diamond Mines, Wonderworks and the MOST Museum and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse.   Bright Vision Education Group provides English as a Second Language (ESL) education in Shandong Province, China.  

As New York’s first AMA Model Aviation Student Clubs, both SUNY AMA and CNY Drones reach out to students and adults in Central New York with interactive exhibits, introductory drone programs, race events and an annual STEM-based Team Drone Competition hosted at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.  Programs costs are kept low through donations and pooled efforts of volunteers and mentors.   The pairing of both groups brings the public on to the SUNY Utica campus and gives college students an opportunity to volunteer in the local community helping potential future students.

SUNY AMA Club students will be volunteering with CNY Drones’ engineers, educators and drone enthusiasts throughout the summer and into the 2018-2019 Academic Year.  The two groups will jointly provide interactive STEM exhibits throughout Central New York, including:  the Boilermaker Expo on July 7, the New Hartford Fire Truck Spectacular on July 19, Drones Over Downtown Syracuse on August 8, Wings & Wheels Cruise-In at Masonic Care Community on August 18, the New York State Fair STEAM Exhibit, August 25-26, and Drone Info Day on the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Campus on September 30, 2018.

SUNY AMA is one of three new student clubs based in the Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing that partners with community groups.  The 3D Printing Club and the Fabrication Club share members with SUNY AMA and work together on projects of similar interest.  CNY Drones is a not-for-profit community group that provides a bridge to the regional drone technology education and employment pipeline through fun, interactive activities. To learn more about CNY Drones and SUNY AMA, visit the CNY Drones information hub at:  www.CNYDrones.org.