TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION PROJECT GRANT PROPOSAL

Name of Applicant: Mykea Young

District/School: Forest Park High School/Clayton County

Date: July 12, 2021

Total Cost of Project: $10,000

Title of Project: Flying Beyond Our Horizons

To what organization will you submit this grant application in the future?: Saxena Family
Foundation

I. Why is this project important (In 2-3 paragraphs, describe the need for the project and its
relevance to the shared vision for instructional technology)?
a. Forest Park High School is a Title I school within the Clayton County Public Schools
District. The student population is made up of mostly minority students, wirth Hispanics
(45%) and African Americans (43%) making up the majority of the student body (Forest
Park High School Rating, 2021). Majority of the students here come from low
socioeconomic households. Steele (2019) says that wealthier households are ten times
more likely to have access to technology than those from lower income households. This
is true of the students at Forest Park High School. This grant can help grant these students
access.

The vision of Forest Park is to be a school of high performance preparing all students to
live and compete successfully in a global society. In order for this vision to come to
fruition, students need to be exposed to and granted access to emerging technologies.
With this grant, the staff at Forest Park High School will be able to fund Flying Beyond
Our Horizon, the drone flying portion of the STEM program. This project will expose
students to new technologies and opportunities they otherwise would not have access to,
thus, broadening their horizons. Through Flying Beyond Our Horizons, students will
learn how to fly drones and be trained to take the FAA Part 107 exam. This will allow
students to act as contractors, flying drones for various companies or train others to fly
drones as well.

II. What would you like to accomplish (In 1-2 paragraphs, describe the overall project goals
and then list the instructional objectives/project outcomes.)?
a. The goal of this project is to expose as many students to drone flying as possible, and
eventually get them FAA certified. With this grant, FPHS will be able to pay for the

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 training sessions necessary for students in the STEM program to learn how to fly drones.
Additionally, the funds will pay for each student’s FAA certification for Part 107.

The graduation rate at Forest Park High School is 72% (Forest Park High School Rating,
2021). Even though 72% of students are graduating, all of these students do not
necessarily go to an institution of higher learning. By going through the training sessions
provided by Drone Pilot, students will be well equipped to take and pass the Part 107
certification, as they have a 99% pass rate (Drone Pilot Georgia, 2021). This will provide
students with the chance to create promising and fruitful careers for themselves. Once
students are certified, they can act as contractors, providing services in the areas of real
estate, security, construction, entertainment, and so much more. This is in line with the
school’s vision of producing students who are able to live and compete globally.

III. In what ways is this project an example of exemplary technology integration (In 2-3
paragraphs discuss your project regarding one or more of the following: LoTi, SAMR,
TPACK, TIM, etc.)?
a. The Flying Beyond Our Horizons project will be an example of exemplary technology
integration. The Levels of Technology Integration (LoTI) Framework examines the
balance between instruction, assessment and the effective use of digital tools to promote
higher level thinking and engaged student learning (LoTi Framework, 2020). By
engaging the proposed project, students will acquire the knowledge needed to fly drones
through real-time, hands-on learning, from FAA certified drone pilots. Students will take
on the role as professional drone pilots, then take (and pass) the FAA Part 107 exam,
certifying them as professional drone pilots.

Once students have taken and passed the certification exam, they then can use drones to
deepen their understanding of mathematical and science related concepts, such as the
pythagorean theorem, and the relation between speed, distance, and time. Additionally,
students will be able to fly drones for companies that require this service, or even start
their own company, contracting out their services. Throughout this entire experience,
students are engaging with experts outside of their schools, taking on career related roles,
and using their newly found knowledge to create entrepreneurship for themselves.

IV. How will you complete the work? (Describe how the project will be completed.)

A. Describe how the instructional objectives/project outcomes will be met (In 2-3 paragraphs,
describe what students will do to demonstrate mastery of the objectives/outcomes.).
a. The goal of the project is to get the students of the STEM program certified as
professional drone flyers, providing them with a positive and thriving way to make a
living for themselves if they do not want to go the traditional route of going to college or
trade school. At the start of the project, the objective is for students to learn about drones,
what they can do, and the benefits of being able to fly them. This will take place with
STEM teachers. As the program progresses, students will engage with certified

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 professionals, and learn how to fly drones. This process is one that takes at least 18
hours.

Once students have learned enough about drones, as well as the rules and regulations
about flying them, students will take the FAA Part 107 exam. The goal is for all students
to pass on the first try. Once students have become fluent in flying drones (and certified),
we will then use their new knowledge to apply drone flying to some of the mathematical
and science concepts they learn about in class, such as the relation between speed,
distance, and time.

B. Describe the time involved (Describe the project length including amount of time each
day/week; include a timeline for planning and implementation).
a. The STEM program is ongoing throughout the entire school year.
b. The Flying Beyond Our Horizon project will last 18 hours over the course of 2 weeks
(there can be multiple sessions according to the amount of students signing up for the
certification).
c. The FAA Part 107 assessment is 60 questions, and test takers have up to 120 minutes to
complete it.

C. Describe the people involved (To show impact, describe the grade level/subject & # of
students, teachers and/or staff, other stakeholders).
a. For this project, all the students and teachers involved in the STEM program, grades
9-12, will be involved. For the actual training and certification, the program is limited to
those who are 16 and older, as this is the age of eligibility to be able to be FAA certified.
b. Drone Pilot Georgia, LLC members will also be involved, as they are the persons
responsible for coming out and conducting the necessary training.

D. Describe any professional development that you or others will complete prior to
implementing the grant. (This is optional, but will help reviewers know that you are well
prepared to carry out the grant implementation.)
a. Prior to implementation, no professional development will be needed. The grant itself
will help fund the drone flying training sessions and certification assessments.

E. Describe the materials needed for the project (Provide links to relevant websites; include a
written description of how the technology/ies will benefit students).
a. All materials, such as the drones for training and flying, and Part 107 certification study
material, will be provided by Drone Pilot Georgia, LLC.
b. By becoming certified drone flyers, students will be in a better position to create their
own businesses as contractors. They can fly drones for real estate needs, entertainment
needs, and even construction.

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V. How will you assess accomplishments and objectives/project outcomes (In 2-3 paragraphs,
describe the timeline for assessing, the program evaluation procedure, and how success of
the grant project will be determined.)?
a. Before the project begins, students will be given a pre-assessment to determine what
knowledge they already have about drones, drone flying, and the opportunities that stem
from drone certification. This will provide baseline information and give the program a
point to grow from. As the program progresses, the goal is for students to gain more
knowledge about drones, what they can be used for, and the career opportunities they
provide.

At the conclusion of the project, students will be given a post-assessment, displaying the
knowledge they have gained about drones, drone flying, and the opportunities that stem
from gaining the FAA certification. By the end of the program, it is the goal to have all
those who are eligible (16 and older) FAA certified. The program’s success will also be
accessed based on the percentage of students who pass the Part 107 exam on the first try.

VI. How will the students be impacted by the project (In 1-2 paragraphs, describe how the impact
on students will be assessed and reported to students, parents, teachers, and others.)?
a. Through the Flying Beyond Our Horizon project, students will have access to
opportunities that they otherwise would not have had. Most of the students at Forest Park
High School come from low socioeconomic households, and the chances of them being
able to afford an opportunity like this on their own is not likely. Ring (2008) states that
only about 26% of women make up STEM fields; Funk and Parker (2018) state that
African Americans and Hispanics only make up a combined 16% of STEM fields. With
this grant, students fitting into all of these underrepresented groups will have the
opportunity to compete with their more affluent counterparts.

At the conclusion of the project, students will be asked to participate in a STEM

Showcase. During this showcase, students will be presenting to their peers, teachers,
parents, and other community members, about how this project has impacted them and
the opportunities it has afforded them. Additionally, students and their parents will be
invited to participate in a survey asking about their satisfaction about the
project/program.

VII. What is the proposed budget? Include information on the following:

A. 18 Hours of group training: $4,810
B. FAA Part 107 Assessment: $173 per person (30 persons=$5,190)
C. Total Cost of Proposed Project (include a line item for any required professional
development): $10,000
D. Additional Funding Sources: Student Incentive Fund, Donors Choose

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VIII. List your supporting references.

Drone Pilot Georgia. (2021). Aerial Photography Part 107 Training | Drone Pilot Georgia, LLC.

https://www.dronepilotgeorgia.com/index.php

Forest Park High School (2021 Rating) | Forest Park, GA. (2021). Public School Review.

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/forest-park-high-school-profile

Funk, C., & Parker, K. (2020). 1. Diversity in the STEM workforce varies widely across jobs.

Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project.

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/01/09/diversity-in-the-stem-workforce-v

aries-widely-across-jobs/

LoTi Framework. (2020). LoTi Connection. https://www.loticonnection.com/loti-framework

Ring, S. (2008). Tech gURLs: Closing the Technological Gender Gap. Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/computer-science-technology-gender-gap

Saxena Foundation. (2021). Initiatives. http://saxenafoundation.com/initiatives/

Steele, C. (2019). Carmen Steele. Digital Divide Council.

http://www.digitaldividecouncil.com/what-is-the-digital-divide/

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 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY GRANT PROPOSAL
EVALUATION FORM/SCORING RUBRIC

Total Points (out of 300): __________

1. Impacts a variety of skill levels and/or learning styles or impacts an important target population.

Possible number of points: 60 __________

2. Clearly identifies standards and learning objectives/project outcomes being addressed.

Possible number of points: 60 __________

3. Pedagogically sound, based on research and/or best practices.

Possible number of points: 60 __________

4. Clear plan for assessment of project and goals with examples of implementation methods.

Possible number of points: 60 __________

5. Impacts large number of students and/or can be recycled/reused.

Possible number of points: 60 __________

General Comments:

NOTE: This scoring rubric, while different than your typical KSU rubric, may be similar to what an
organization will use to score grant application submissions.

Adapted from: The Education Foundation of Oconee County, Inc.

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