Mecklenburg County 4-H Game of Drones
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Have you ever dreamed of flying a drone or controlling a robot? Now’s your chance to make it happen! Registration for the 4th annual 2026 Game of Drones Competition will open on this fall!
What is Game of Drones?
Game of Drones is a 4-H program focused on STEM education, specifically through the use of drones and coding. It is also a competition where students learn to code and pilot drones using either Blockchain coding (Middle School) or Python coding (High School), often navigating a grid-based system with missions as a team. This program aims to teach computational thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing students for future careers in STEM fields.
When and Where will Game of Drones Take Place?
Game of Drones will take place on the Campus of North Carolina A&T State University on April 11th, 2026, during N.C. Sci-Fest. A series of trainings will occur leading up to this.
Who Can Participate?
This program will be for all interested Middle & High School students
How Big Can My Team Be? Teams can consist of 3 members, with up to 2 alternates, and 1 coach. All teams must either be all middle school students or all high school students.
Do I need to Have Prior Coding Experience to be a Coach?
Coaches do not need prior coding experience, but the experience will be helpful if the entire team is new to coding. Coaches will be responsible for meeting with the team to practice and for maintaining all program materials.
How Much Does it Cost to Participate in Game of Drones?
The registration fee is $100 per team. Registration fees will be used to cover meals for teams during the two in-person events and awards at the competition on April 11, 2026. All payments will be due no later than November 1st, 2025
Will Materials Be Provided?
Each team’s coach will receive the drones and materials needed to help prepare their team for competition. The materials will be on loan to the team and should be returned in the same condition in which it was received. All drones and DataBots that are returned broken or damaged will have to be replaced by the coach.
Each team will need to have its own laptop for practice, but a laptop will be provided for the competition. A Google Drive folder of activities and lessons to work through will be provided for teams to practice and gain coding and flight experience. A monthly challenge will be provided to help teams organize their practice sessions. Teams will also be able to sign up for one-on-one coaching in January for a session in February with the game master. Individual coaching sessions will be an hour long for each team.
Where Will The Training Occur? The regional training for our region (West) will take place on February 7th, 2026. The location will be determined once the teams have been selected. County-specific training will occur in March if needed.
Does My Child Need to Be in 4-H Online?
All youth who wish to participate need to be registered in 4-H Online, our digital enrollment platform. Enroll for free today! Youth interested in Game of Drones do not need to have any prior experience with 4-H.
Key dates:
Oct. 1- teams registered
Nov. 1 Payment received
January 10 – Kick off event at NCA&T
Feb 7 – West regional training
April 11 – Game of Drones Competition at NCA&T
If you have any questions, please email Mecklenburg County 4-H Agent, Isaiah Barco, ibbarco@ncsu.edu, or NC A&T 4-H STEM Specialist, Dr. Mark Light, mdlight@ncat.edu, with any questions.