The national drone championship is in May.
Kypros/Getty ImagesA local Texas high school will compete in a national drone championship after the school's drone club passed the qualifications to go.
Fourteen students make up the drone club at Harmony School of Excellence where they practice flying drones through different obstacles, use code to program a drone to sometimes fly on its own, and even play games with the gadgets. The team has won six awards at prior competitions.
"We are so excited to have qualified for the Aerial Drone Competition Championship this year!" coach Joshua Gandara said. "The team has put great effort to get here."
Although HSE is a Title I school, a classification that means the school has fewer resources than others in the area, Gandara told KXAN he thinks the students are even more prepared than other schools.
Because the club trains in a makeshift obstacle course set up in a hallway outside Gandara's classroom, he believes the tight quarters have ultimately taught the students to be more resourceful.
Currently, the club is preparing for the national competition held in Michigan in May, but some of the students are thinking way beyond it. Gandara said several have expressed interest in pursuing a STEM-related discipline like programming and health technology after high school.
The club created a GoFundMe page to raise money for travel expenses to the competition. Harmony School of Excellence is located in Austin.