A Look into How SVVSD Students Produce a World-Class Drone Show
The St. Vrain Valley School District Innovation Center’s Drone Performance Team — the world’s first high school student-led drone performance team — was featured at the 2026 Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando, Florida on January 12, 2026.
Developed in partnership with Firefly Drone Shows, the performance demonstrated coordinated drone flight and lighting design while highlighting hands-on STEM education and student leadership. The project showed how public school programs can integrate real-world technology, technical planning, and team-based execution at a professional level.
Why a Student-Led Drone Team Matters
When students take the lead on a technical performance, the benefits extend well beyond the final show. Participants develop systems thinking through formation design, timing, and safety procedures. They build technical fluency with drone hardware, software, and communications protocols, while also practicing project management through scheduling, rehearsals, and partner coordination. Creative design skills are also central, as students translate themes and messages into aerial formations and light patterns.
Kristen Brohm, Director of STEM Education, explained why the program emphasizes student leadership rather than instructor direction.
“While traditional coursework ensures students master foundational standards, a student-led team moves beyond the classroom by managing real-world client relationships. This shift allows students to foster a professional identity long before they graduate; instead of seeking validation with the question ‘Is this right?’, they engage in the professional dialogue of ‘Does this meet your needs?’ It’s all about providing our students with the #StVrainAdvantage.”
How the Drone Performance Team Operates
The students on the team are all paid employees of the school district. Students lead design, programming, and on-site operations, building both ownership and confidence. Industry partnership with Firefly Drone Shows provides technical guidance, safety oversight, and access to performance-grade drones. Flight patterns and light sequences are repeatedly tested and refined through iterative rehearsals. Safety-first planning — including regulatory compliance with FAA approval, flight-zone setup, and fail-safe procedures — is built into every performance.
Danny Hernandez, Drone Performance Team Coordinator, described what it took to trust students with technology at this scale.
“Trusting students at this scale required intention. I specifically recruited former students I knew could handle pressure and uncertainty — students who were ready to help build something that had never been done at the high school level. We paired that trust with clear systems, mentorship, and accountability, and made it clear this was real work with real consequences. When students understand the responsibility of putting 300 drones in the air at once, they rise to meet it.”
Behind the Scenes: What Students Learn
Students go far beyond basic flight control. Training includes programming and simulation of flight paths before live runs, wireless communication concepts that keep drone swarms synchronized, animation and storytelling through coordinated light motion, and risk assessment with mitigation planning built into rehearsals. Students also build confidence speaking and presenting to adult audiences and industry partners.
Students say the experience feels very different from a traditional class.
“The drone team is unlike any class I’ve taken,” said Reese Wieder, Project Manager and UAS Drone Show Pilot. “The skills we’re developing aren’t just applicable in the real world; they’re in high demand. Through this program, we’re earning certifications and licenses that are already helping many of us secure jobs and gain a competitive edge after graduation. Additionally, we have the opportunity to collaborate with students from across the district who bring diverse interests and expertise, people we likely wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
Matthew Weber, Lead Design Animator, described the conference performance moment this way: “Unreal, like a huge wave of accomplishment rushes over me. Seeing the formations we made that took us hours to create being flown in the sky is something so cool and unique.”
Brooke Boatman, Project Manager, said industry collaboration reshaped her outlook: “Working with industry professionals has broadened my understanding of what is possible within the field I want to pursue, and has given me confidence that the skills I am developing now will provide a strong foundation for future career opportunities.”
Planning a Public Performance
Each drone show requires detailed logistics and community coordination. Teams must secure permissions and confirm airspace rules, build production schedules covering rehearsals and technical checks, coordinate equipment and safety staffing, and create communication plans so stakeholders and audiences understand expectations and safety boundaries.
Lessons for Other School Districts
Program leaders say the model can be replicated with thoughtful scaling. Starting with small simulation projects or mini-performances allows teams to build skills before moving to full shows. Industry partnerships can provide mentorship and equipment access. Cross-disciplinary goals — combining 3D design, physics, technical systems, and communications — strengthen outcomes. Careful documentation of flight plans, safety checklists, rehearsal notes, and client requirements improves repeatability.
Peninsula School District in Gig Harbor, Washington, traveled to Longmont in July to train with the SVVSD team and to get help building their own program.
Joe McBreen, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, encourages districts to see the broader value.
“A drone performance team is essentially a high-tech startup where students master project management, music synchronization, and professional media production. To other districts, I say: look beyond the flight line and see an ecosystem that builds the collaborative agility the modern workforce demands. It’s not just about getting drones in the air; it’s about giving students the runway to lead a world-class production.”
Where to See Future Shows
Shows and community performances are scheduled throughout the year through the Innovation Center Drone Performance Team.
There is a show on April 13 at the 41st Annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, and they are heading to San Diego for the ASU+GSV Summit on April 15th that same week with a second team. Both of these shows are Global Events with delegates from over 50 countries attending each one.
Highlights are shared under the tags #StVrainStorm, #StVrainAdvantage, and #PublicSchoolAdvantage.
Community-powered, student-led, and professionally guided, the Drone Performance Team demonstrates how experiential learning can reach new heights — literally.
