Our goal is to significantly impact the lives of CMU students who have completed our drone courses and help them offset a $175 FAA license fee. This fee is the final hurdle to certification that some students don’t complete because of cost. Once we have raised $2,500, a $2,500 match given by a generous donor will be unlocked. By removing the financial barrier of the FAA license fee, we can ensure that all students have opportunities in this growing field and empower them to pursue successful careers as licensed drone pilots. Together, let us invest in the potential of our CMU students and propel them toward a future of innovation, opportunity, and excellence in the drone industry. Thank you, and Fire Up!
More about the CMU Drone Lab:
The Central Michigan University Drone Lab is an interdisciplinary initiative that seamlessly integrates academic excellence with practical, hands-on experience in drone technology. Over the past year, the program has excelled in recruiting new students to campus, received national recognition from the Federal Aviation Administration, and established cross-departmental drone certificates for students in multiple academic disciplines.
Since its formal establishment in August of 2022, Central Michigan University’s Drone Lab and collaborative drone committee span four academic colleges, innovation and online, as well as eight departments serving as a hub for innovation, creativity, and academic excellence. In the program's inaugural year, the lab has held recruiting events both on and off campus as well as training and flight activities for more than 500 potential students, and engaged more than 80 K-12 educators.
A testament to the program's success, the associated courses have consistently reached maximum capacity, leading to the expansion of course caps for the spring 2024 semester to accommodate the high demand. The lab's educational platform and the University’s new interdisciplinary drone certificate have received recognition from the Federal Aviation Administration as part of its National Collegiate Training Initiative, one of only 4 colleges and universities in Michigan.
As we plan for the 2024-25 academic year, the Drone Lab has a bold strategy for growth including collaborations with the Chippewa Indian Tribe, expansion into the University’s Traverse City area initiative, and hosting various drone training programs and workshops for organizations such as Junior Achievement, CMU’s Trio Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search Program, CMU Gear Up and Pathways Program, North American Indigenous Summer Enrichment Camp, and the FIRST Robotics Competition. Each of these opportunities, on top of our currently enacted initiatives, have the potential to generate invaluable opportunities for recruitment and presenting Central Michigan University at the forefront of educational advancement.
The lab is committed to seeking long-term and sustainable financial opportunities for growth through grant applications and expansive community-based partnerships. The groundwork laid in the first year of full operation has set the stage for a promising future, and we believe that with your support the Drone Lab will continue to be a beacon of innovation, education, and community engagement at Central Michigan University.
We are grateful to alumni and friends who have participated in the CMU Giving Week Quest in support of our students. There’s still time to give a gift for CMU’s 133rd Anniversary! If you haven’t yet, consider making a gift to your favorite CMU scholarship or fund and help ignite the path for student success.
