Offers record numbers of students hands-on experience, career-ready skills, and a pathway toward industry credentials
GREENVILLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#FAApart107--As drones transform aviation, public safety, agriculture, infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and other industries, employers will need a workforce prepared to operate, program, maintain, and advance the technology.
The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), which operates one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing student robotics and drone competition organizations, and educational drone developer Robolink are expanding their longstanding partnership as the presenting sponsor of the 2026–2027 Aerial Drone Competition season and the new mission, Fast Track. Robolink will serve as the program’s official drone partner, providing its CoDrone EDU, a versatile, programmable drone designed specifically for educational purposes.
The expansion comes as demand for career-connected drone education reaches a record high. Participation in the Aerial Drone Competition grew 50% to nearly 3,000 teams in the past two years. As of today, early registrations for the 2026–2027 Aerial Drone Competition season are currently surging ahead of the same point last year, signaling continued strong growth in student and educator interest.
Meanwhile, drones and careers powering them have moved rapidly into the mainstream, from Fourth of July celebrations and Olympic opening ceremonies to farms across America, where nearly one in three farmers surveyed now use them.
The collaboration also builds on RECF’s recent partnership with Unmanned Safety Institute, connecting students with aviation safety education, industry-aligned training, and a pathway toward FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certification.
“This collaboration is about building more than a competition program. RECF, Robolink, and Unmanned Safety Institute are creating a connected pathway that introduces students to drone technology, gives them opportunities to apply their skills, and shows them where those skills can lead,” said Dan Mantz, CEO of RECF. “As the drone industry grows, we have a shared responsibility to help more young people see themselves as part of its future.”
Each partner contributes an essential part of the student learning and workforce pathway:
- RECF provides the competition structure, educator network, and events that give thousands of students opportunities to learn and compete.
- Robolink provides the CoDrone EDU technology used in the competition, along with educational resources and technical expertise.
- Unmanned Safety Institute offers aviation safety and industry knowledge, connecting students’ competition experience with professional standards and a pathway toward FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certification.
The expanded partnership will help extend the Aerial Drone Competition to more communities and strengthen opportunities for JROTC teams. Robolink’s role as presenting sponsor builds on more than six years of collaboration with RECF, including early game and field design and the development of program-specific solutions such as CoDrone EDU (JROTC Edition).
"Robolink started as an afterschool STEM program, and today our drones are used in more than 9,000 schools from upper elementary through high school," says Hansol Hong, CEO of Robolink. "But the RECF's Aerial Drone Competition gives students a deeper reason to care: there are real stakes, teammates counting on you, and problems to solve under pressure. It turns STEM from something to study into something with the excitement and sense of belonging as athletics. We’re proud to help the RECF bring that experience—and the career pathways behind it—to more students.”
Designed for students in grades 4–12, the Aerial Drone Competition provides an accessible entry point into a technology field they may not otherwise encounter at school. The program focuses on hands-on, student-centered learning that combines education and fun for thousands of middle and high school students.
Teams fly and program drones, complete missions, analyze performance, document their engineering process, and communicate under pressure. Along the way, students develop technical knowledge and career-ready skills, including creativity, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving.
The 2026–2027 season will culminate at the RECF World Championship in St. Louis from April 2 to May 7, 2027, where qualifying Aerial Drone Competition teams will demonstrate their skills alongside students from around the world.
Teams, schools, and community organizations can learn more about the Aerial Drone Competition and register for the new season here. The Aerial Drone Competition Pro provides students with the opportunity to increase awareness and interest in drone technology, industry applications, and career paths. Learn more here.
About the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF)
The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) is a global organization dedicated to increasing student engagement in science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, curriculum-based robotics and drone programs. Through comprehensive programs encompassing competitions, education, and workforce readiness, the Foundation empowers educators to inspire and equip students for success. The RECF strives to create a future where every student designs and innovates as part of a team, overcomes failure, perseveres, and emerges confident in their ability to meet global challenges. Through sustainable and affordable curriculum-based robotics programs, the RECF inspires students, one robot at a time.
About Robolink
One of Inc. 5000’s fast-growing private companies for 2026, Robolink makes career-launching drones and learning experiences for grades 4 and up. CoDrone EDU, the drone designed for classrooms and the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF)’s Aerial Drone Competition, allows students to program with Blockly and Python to build CS, STEM, and future-ready skills from their first flight. The company’s mission is to help educators get students excited about coding, technology, and teamwork to prepare them for high-impact careers. The Robolink team knows that not every student will go into STEM, but they believe every student should have the opportunity to see where it could take them.
Contacts
Robolink Media Contact:
Sara Wacker, APR, Bloom Public Relations
Sara@BloomPRSanDiego.com
RECF Media Contact:
Jenn Goonan
jenn@jenngoonan.com
