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Drones Uplifting California Communities (DUCC) is sponsored by CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) at University of California, Santa Cruz (funded by California Jobs First initiative via California AgTech Alliance). This program expands workforce development programming to prepare Californians for drone-related careers, including training teachers and instructors to reach over 2,000 students in precision agriculture, infrastructure, logistics, and environmental monitoring.
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DRONES UPLIFTING CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES (DUCC) – CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research DUCC Train the Trainer Program The Drones Uplifting California Communities (DUCC) is a statewide train-the-trainer program run by UCSC CIDER, Monterey Bay Tech Hub (MBTH), UC Merced CITRIS FLY, UC ANR Informatics and GIS, Orange Coast College, and Monterey Bay DART.
The program is dedicated to empowering communities through free and low-cost drone pilot training and licensing. We aim to equip high school and community college educators with the skills they need to train future drone pilots in their schools and incorporate drones into existing classes.
The DUCC program also aims to bring drone training to community members traditionally left behind by the tech economy in the area, to ensure the workforce is as diverse as our communities. Becoming a licensed drone pilot requires passing a knowledge test at an FAA testing center. The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions on topics such as regulations, airspace, airport operations, aviation performance, and weather.
CIDER has developed an online curriculum to help prepare for the FAA exam. Over 90% of CIDER’s previous students have passed their exams on their first try. Eight weeks of asynchronous training : Prepare to take the FAA Part 107 remote pilot license test on your own schedule.
CIDER’s online curriculum includes short videos, study notes, quizzes, and a practice exam to ensure you’re well prepared. Hands-on flight training : 2-3 days of practical in person flight training to gain the confidence needed to fly drones safely with your students. Ongoing support : After training, DUCC provides over six months of guidance in developing and implementing a drone curriculum for your students.
A needs-based $1,600 stipend is available for participating high school and community college educators (one per school). A needs-based reimbursement of the $175 FAA license test fee.
Creating Opportunities for Your Students Drone piloting is a lucrative career choice that pays around $45 per hour and offers numerous opportunities in various fields, including agriculture, infrastructure inspection, tourism, public safety, cinematography, and more.
With a current shortage of FAA-licensed drone pilots and growth estimates of $50 billion industry and over 500 million jobs by 2030, the future looks very promising for those skilled in drone operation. Through the DUCC program, students can obtain the FAA license, with the financial assistance available to cover the $175 FAA license exam fee.
Additionally, students interested in starting their own drone piloting businesses will have access to mentorship through MBTH entrepreneurship program.
The program is run regionally by four hubs, each responsible for the following counties: Bay Area and Central Coast – UCSC CIDER & DART: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma Central Valley – U C Merced CITRIS FLY : Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne Northern California – UC ANR IGIS: Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, Yuba Southern California – Orange Coast College: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura Ready to start training your students as future drone pilots?
Fill out the DUCC interest form below, and we will schedule a meeting with you to discuss the next steps. If you have questions about the program, please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information about upcoming training in your region: Bay Area and Central Coast: UCSC CIDER Central Valley: CITRIS FLY Northern California: UC ANR IGIS Southern California: Orange Coast College
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: High schoolers, college students, and individuals in the ag tech industry, with a focus on preparing a skilled workforce for drone-related careers. Specifically supports 'train the trainers' for teachers and instructors. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Nearly $3,000,000 total (includes $2.21 million from California AgTech Alliance) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
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Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education & Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) Program is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This program promotes novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students. It supports projects that bring recent advances in STEM knowledge into undergraduate education, adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices, and lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education. Professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques is a potential topic of interest.
The National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program (NLG-L) supports projects that address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice and strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Successful proposals will generate results such as new models, tools, research findings, services, practices, and/or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and leverage the benefits of federal investment. Applications to IMLS should both advance knowledge and understanding and ensure that the federal investment made generates benefits to society. Specifically, the goals for this program are to generate projects of far-reaching impact that: • Build the workforce and institutional capacity for managing the national information infrastructure and serving the information and education needs of the public. • Build the capacity of libraries and archives to lead and contribute to efforts that improve community well-being and strengthen civic engagement. • Improve the ability of libraries and archives to provide broad access to and use of information and collections with emphasis on collaboration to avoid duplication and maximize reach. • Strengthen the ability of libraries to provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster. • Strengthen the ability of libraries, archives, and museums to work collaboratively for the benefit of the communities they serve. Throughout its work, IMLS places importance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be reflected in an IMLS-funded project in a wide range of ways, including efforts to serve individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; individuals with disabilities; individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; individuals having difficulty using a library or museum; and underserved urban and rural communities, including children from families with incomes below the poverty line. Application Process: The application process for the NLG-L program has two phases; applicants must begin by applying for Phase I. For Phase I, all applicants must submit Preliminary Proposals by the September 20th deadline listed for this Notice of Funding Opportunity. For Phase II, only selected applicants will be invited to submit Full Proposals, and only those Invited Full Proposals will be considered for funding. Invited Full Proposals will be due March 20, 2024. Funding Opportunity Number: NLG-LIBRARIES-FY24. Assistance Listing: 45.312. Funding Instrument: G. Category: AR,HU. Award Amount: $50K – $1M per award.