Creating a Workforce Pipeline of Agriculture Drone Operators and Remote Sensing Technicians

农民、牧场主和林农正在经历知识和设备方面的技术转变，这些知识和设备是经营环境友好和经济高效的农业综合企业所必需的。关于在农业中使用无人机地理空间技术的研究已经进行了一段时间，其在农场和田间的应用正在迅速扩大。该项目的目标是使阿肯色州社区学院贝茨维尔大学（UACCB）通过创建一个全面的教育管道，加强有抱负的农学家和自然资源保护主义者的教育。该项目将使新兴和现有的农业劳动力能够在这些先进技术尚未普及的地区应用这些技术。在课程完成后，学生将获得FAA Part 107无人机许可证，商业应用技术员许可证，以及使用遥感和GIS数据分析软件的熟练程度。地理空间农业技术员的管道将开始通过夏季青年充实研讨会进行学术接触。熟悉最先进的农业技术将成为兴奋和理解新兴劳动力中无人机技术应用的跳板。拟议的管道将输入UACCB的农业无人机技术熟练证书，学生将从事理论教学，并通过实地实验室练习应用知识。该项目将扩大现有的基于学分的农业课程，包括为期16周的熟练证书（CP）课程，重点是教育有执照的无人机操作员和遥感技术人员。教师将重新设计现有的课程，并为证书课程中嵌入的新课程开发课程，为高中和中学后教师提供专业发展，并通过青年充实活动提高学生对农业地理空间技术的认识。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员的教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are experiencing technological shifts in the knowledge and equipment necessary to operate environmentally friendly and economically efficient agribusinesses. Research has been conducted on the use of drone-based geospatial technologies in agriculture for some time, and their applications at the farm and in the field are expanding rapidly. The goal of this project is to enable the University of Arkansas Community College Batesville (UACCB) to enhance the education of aspiring agriculturalists and conservationists by creating a comprehensive educational pipeline. This project will enable the emerging and current agricultural workforce to apply these advanced technologies in a region where they are not yet prevalent. Upon program completion students will have earned an FAA Part 107 drone license, Commercial Applicator Technician License, as well as demonstrate proficiency using remote sensing and GIS data analysis software.The pipeline for geospatial agriculture technicians will begin with academic exposure through summer youth enrichment workshops. Familiarity with state-of-the-art agriculture technologies will serve as a springboard for excitement and understanding of applications for drone technologies in the emerging workforce. The proposed pipeline will feed into UACCB’s Certificate of Proficiency in Agriculture Drone Technology, where students will engage in theory-based instruction and apply knowledge through field-based laboratory exercises. The project will expand existing credit-based agricultural course offerings to include a sixteen-week Certificate of Proficiency (CP) program focused on educating licensed drone operators and remote sensing technicians. Faculty will redesign existing coursework and develop curriculum for new courses embedded in the certificate program, provide professional development for high school and postsecondary faculty, as well as enhance student awareness of geospatial technologies in agriculture through youth enrichment activities. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.