Middle School STEM Program
A Middle School STEM Curriculum That Gets Students Flying
Rocket Drones gives your school a complete STEM program for middle school students: classroom drone kits, curriculum, simulators, and racing. Your students build real flight skills and log hours that carry into high school.
A STEM Program That Fits Wherever Your Students Learn
Middle schools use Rocket Drones in STEM and robotics courses, in core math, science, and history lessons, and in after school programs, summer camps, esports teams, and special education classrooms. Wherever it lives, students build practical skills and logged flight hours that transfer to the drone industry and beyond.
Rover Classroom Drone Kit | Foundational | 1–30 Students
STEM Kits for Middle School Classrooms
The Rover Classroom Drone Kit is the foundation of the Rocket Drones pathway: an all-in-one STEM education solution that brings hands-on drone learning into your classroom. Created by industry professionals, it gives your teachers everything they need to introduce drone technology, flight skills, and real-world applications. No prior experience required.
- Six classroom drones, flown individually or in groups of up to five
- 30 batteries and six six-port chargers to keep every group flying
- Mini inflatable obstacle course with six unique shapes
- How-to-fly lessons and a web-based training simulator
- Flight challenges, student flight logs, and classroom leaderboards
- Lifetime portal access
Fun STEM Activities for Middle School Students
Your students learn by flying. Every challenge pairs a flight skill with a problem to solve, on real drones and in the Drone Web Simulator.
Drone Limbo
Students fly under a limbo bar that drops after every successful pass, mastering low-altitude control and stability.
Drone Delivery Challenge
Students pick up a parcel and fly it to a delivery zone without dropping it, simulating a real-world drone job that rewards smooth, accurate flight.
Obstacle Course
Pilots race the clock through a course of gates and obstacles, building speed control and maneuverability.
The Drone Web Simulator adds missions like Search & Rescue and Dynamic Landing, plus games like Balloon Pop, Drone Pong, and Design Your Drone Course. It runs on Chromebooks and logs flight hours automatically.
A Drone STEM Curriculum Ready for Your Classroom
The Intro to Drones Curriculum teaches how drones fly, where industries put them to work, and the safety rules every pilot follows. Lessons fill a semester of twice-a-week, 45-minute sessions, with state standards crosswalks to support your planning. Students 13 and older also earn their FAA TRUST recreational certificate.
Foundational & Advanced Drone Pilot Program | Grades 6–12 | 1–42 Students
Take Your STEM Program Further With Drone Racing
When your students are ready for more, the Drone Racing Program moves them from classroom drones to FPV racing. They learn manual piloting without sensors or GPS, the same skill employers require from professional pilots.
- Six Stage 1 racing drones and six classroom training drones
- Six FPV goggles with onboard DVR and six racing controllers
- Gym-sized and classroom-sized inflatable racecourses
- Online drone racing timer app
- Drone Racing Simulator with multiplayer and ghost mode
- Six drone racing chairs and a gaming laptop for the simulator
Year-Round STEM Competitions for Middle School Students
Competition keeps middle schoolers coming back. Through the Drone Aviation League, your students fly in monthly simulator leaderboard challenges from September through May and race other schools in simulator multiplayer. Top pilots earn a trip to the National Championship at Space Camp in Huntsville each April.
Already running a middle school esports team? The Drone Racing Simulator supports up to 10 computer stations per license.
A Head Start on High School and Drone Careers
Rocket Drones gives your school hands-on career exploration for middle school students. Every flight is logged in the Rocket Drones portal, so the hours your students earn now follow them into high school. By the time they turn 16, they are ready for the FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Certification Course and the industry-endorsed certifications that follow.
Built by Drone Professionals and Educators
Rocket Drones was founded by drone industry professionals with a passion for education, and our curriculum is developed by a classroom educator with nearly two decades of hands-on STEM teaching. Your teachers get a program that is ready to run on day one, with no drone background required.
- No prior drone experience required
- How-to-fly lessons and troubleshooting built into the portal
- State standards crosswalks for the Intro to Drones Curriculum
- Unlimited virtual support and professional development
- Lifetime portal access with every hardware package
“I love the different levels and the way it makes it so much easier for the students to get their hands on things. It allows them to bridge the gap, and it’s not an overwhelming experience right up front. I love the fact that it slows things down for them and lets them get oriented.”
Scott Feazell, Technology Director, St. Paul Catholic School
Pick the Package That Fits Your Middle School
| Package | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Rover Classroom Drone Kit | $5,000 | Classroom kit hardware and lifetime portal access |
| Rover Classroom Drone Kit with Curriculum and Simulator | $8,000 | Classroom kit, Intro to Drones Curriculum*, and Drone Web Simulator Missions & Games* |
| Drone Racing Program | $25,000 | Classroom and racing kit hardware, Intro to Drones Curriculum*, FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Certification Course*, and Drone Racing Simulator* |
| Intro to Drones Curriculum | $1,500 | Standalone site license* |
| Drone Web Simulator Missions & Games | $1,500 | Standalone site license* |
*Lifetime portal access included with all hardware packages. Curriculum, certification course, and simulator licenses are for one year and up to 100 users.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which grades can use Rocket Drones?
The Rover Classroom Drone Kit, Intro to Drones Curriculum, and Drone Web Simulator are built for grades 3–12. The Drone Racing Program and Drone Racing Simulator are built for grades 6–12, so middle school students can use every part of the program.
Do our teachers need drone experience?
No. The portal includes how-to-fly lessons and troubleshooting, and Rocket Drones provides unlimited virtual support and professional development.
How many students can use one classroom kit?
Each kit includes six drones for 1 to 30 students. Students can fly individually or in groups of up to five.
How long does each drone fly on a single charge?
8 to 10 minutes per flight. Each kit includes 30 batteries and six six-port chargers, so you can recharge everything at once and keep the action going.
Do we need a computer lab?
No. The Drone Web Simulator runs in a web browser, including on Chromebooks. Students can fly with a keyboard, a drone controller, or most USB controllers.
Can middle school students earn a drone certification?
Students 13 and older earn their FAA TRUST recreational certificate through the Intro to Drones Curriculum. The FAA Part 107 commercial certification requires students to be 16.
Are there ongoing costs?
All hardware kits include lifetime portal access. The Intro to Drones Curriculum and simulator licenses run for one year and up to 100 users, and each can be renewed for $1,500 per year.
Bring Drones to Your Middle School
Request a fast and easy, no-obligation quote by filling out the form, or book a one-on-one virtual demo with Brandon Turk.