In a world where technology, innovation, and global challenges are constantly shaping our future, it’s no secret that equipping students with key STEM skills is now more important than ever. Little did we understand just how much this rings true even more so for the rural, remote and regional schools of Australia. This year, She Maps saw an influx in enquiries and workshop incursion bookings from remote and regional schools. While we haven’t quite been everywhere (as the song goes), we’ve had the privilege of visiting some incredible remote communities this year where we’ve delivered 27 student and teacher workshops. The feedback on the impact our programs have had is just phenomenal! So noteworthy that we decided to write a blog about it and share with others why our program is even more relevant and effective in schools outside metropolitan city centres.
Tapping into rural and regional career opportunities with drones
STEM skills are more important than ever in today’s job market, but students in remote and rural areas—especially in Indigenous communities—don’t always have the same opportunities to explore these fields as their city peers. It is well known that students in metropolitan areas have greater access to service providers, initiatives and resources that are “different”, “modern”, or “21st century” forms of pedagogy. She Maps is a little different here, since we make our in-person and live online programs available to EVERYONE in the country, and tailor our in-person drone workshops for a regional and remote audience. By using drones as a “hook,” we capture students’ interest and introduce them to the exciting world of STEM and geospatial science.
For many of these students, drones represent cutting-edge tech they’ve only seen on screens. And whilst many jobs in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia use drone technologies or geospatial applications these days (think of agriculture, forestry, mining, natural resource management etc), not enough students are equipped with these new sets of skills which provide not only a competitive advantage, but for many students an outlook, an opportunity, a future in the first place.
In our Classroom Drone Essentials workshops, students gain practical skills in flying and coding drones, data analysis, and spatial mapping, sparking curiosity that extends far beyond the classroom. Not only are these programs building critical skills, but they’re also demystifying STEM careers and showing students that they, too, can be a part of these fields.
Empowering Every Student in STEM: Stories of Confidence, Inclusion, and Growth
For girls, students from indigenous backgrounds, and others traditionally underrepresented in STEM, She Maps offers a new perspective—one where they see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and innovators. One unforgettable moment happened at Derby District High School, in northern Western Australia, when a Year 6 student proudly announced, “I did it! I can be a geospatial scientist!” after successfully coding a drone mission. That excitement and self-belief are exactly what our programs aim to inspire!
One of the best parts of our job is seeing students’ confidence soar. Our drone instructors make it a priority to help every student feel successful, no matter their starting point.
Like the Grade 3 student at Baler Primary School, who initially felt too overwhelmed to fly with classmates but found their groove mastering manual flight during a quiet break time. Or the high school student from Western Cape College, usually so reserved that she’d barely spoken to her teachers all year, yet felt inspired to ask us for career advice on breaking into the geospatial industry. And then there’s the student from Nyangatjatjara College, who often shied away from classroom activities, worried about being teased if things didn’t go perfectly—but who surprised everyone (including herself) by mastering manual flight skills and even surpassing her classmates.
Each of these stories highlights students who, according to research, due to their location and socioeconomic situation, might not typically jump into STEM activities. But through these drone sessions, they’re building the confidence to get involved—and realising that they can do STEM! As they gain hands-on experience, many start to see that a future in a STEM field could be a real possibility for them. These moments of courage and growth are what make every school visit so memorable!
Working with local communities and indigenous rangers: Honouring custodians of the land
A critical part of She Maps’ success in remote communities is our commitment to engage with local teachers and communities, especially the Traditional Custodians of the land. By working closely with Indigenous leaders and local stakeholders, we ensure that our programs are respectful, culturally sensitive, and truly impactful. This partnership is particularly important in schools such as Nyangatjatjara College and Mutitjulu Primary School in the red centre of Australia, where students have deep cultural connections to the land; STEM programs focused on environmental awareness, geospatial mapping, and drones offer students a pathway to engage with these connections in new ways.
The role of Indigenous rangers within these communities is profound. During a She Maps program in Mutitjulu, where students worked alongside local rangers, the powerful bond between students and rangers was palpable. You could’ve heard a pin drop as Neil, a ranger, read a book about caring for Country in language to a group of Mutitjulu Primary School students. We’d never seen a group of students sit so still or listen so intently as they did during that reading. During the same visit, students had the unique opportunity to go out on Country and learn alongside rangers, as She Maps taught them how to use drones to map burn scars. Afterwards, She Maps instructors guided them in using GeoNadir to process the drone data, create detailed maps of the area, and interpret the insights from the data they collected.
This collaboration shows students how traditional knowledge and modern technology can coexist and complement one another.
Increased engagement: The power of a drone program
“Students that we previously struggled to encourage to attend school are now lining up at the door in the mornings when they know we are flying drones.”
One of the most transformative aspects of She Maps’ work with remote schools is the increase in student attendance and participation. Educators in remote areas report that since they made drone activities part of the curriculum, students show up with more enthusiasm, actively participate, and are eager to learn. Harvey Fynn, Head of Technology at Western Cape College, saw this transcend not only to his technology class but to school engagement and attendance in general. “Students that we previously struggled to encourage to attend school are now lining up at the door in the mornings when they know we are flying drones.” The hands-on nature of our Classroom Drone Essentials program, combined with the excitement of using technology, keeps students involved, invested and provides a new dimension to learning. The practical applications of these skills give students a sense of accomplishment and capability that they often don’t experience in traditional learning environments.
Schools that teach STEM with drones report an improvement in student behaviour and less disruptive behaviour in their classrooms. Finn puts it down to one thing: the elimination of boredom “Kids that are bored misbehave”. Science and technology can be very dry if not taught with more engaging means. The versatility drones provide and the natural curiosity they ignite in kids make them excellent teaching tools that enable teachers to deliver anything but boring lessons. The result: more engaged students who learn by doing. This is especially effective in an age where teachers deal more and more with students who struggle to sit still and have decreased attention spans.
Building strong foundations: Empowering teachers before, during, and after our visits
Our collaboration with remote schools begins long before we even set foot on campus. We work closely with teachers and communities in advance, fine-tuning our sessions to meet the unique needs of each student group. When needed, we also offer an online PD session for teachers beforehand. Western Cape College, at the tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland, found this pre-visit PD super helpful—it gave teachers a clear idea of what to expect from the She Maps drone sessions and allowed them to share insights on the best ways to engage their students. This extra step makes sure our sessions are tailored to maximise student participation and enjoyment.
When we visit remote schools, we love offering on-site professional development for teachers, making sure they feel confident to keep the drone-learning momentum going even after She Maps leaves. We also show how drones can be seamlessly woven into the curriculum in fun and meaningful ways. Our She Maps instructors love running these PD sessions—you won’t find a more passionate and involved group of teachers than those in remote schools! There’s often so much laughter and energy in the room that we sometimes forget we’re all there to learn (looking at you, Baler State School 😉). It’s incredibly uplifting to see teachers enjoying this hands-on learning, knowing they’ll carry that same enthusiasm into their classrooms. Remote teachers are absolute rockstars!
She Maps: Building a more diverse future in STEM
At its core, She Maps is about creating opportunities and diversifying who gets to engage in STEM. As a social enterprise, our mission is not only to bring STEM education to underserved communities but to make STEM fields accessible and appealing to EVERYONE. By focusing on inclusion, we are changing the demographics of the STEM pipeline in Australia, making it more representative and equitable.
Through drones, we have found a unique way to bridge gaps, spark curiosity, and provide practical skills in remote schools. Whether it’s the future scientist, geospatial analyst, or coder, She Maps is giving students in remote communities the confidence and skills to envision themselves in these roles. We’re proving that geography should not be a barrier to learning—and that STEM has the power to inspire all young minds, wherever they may be.
If you would like us to visit your school – be it in remote or metropolitan areas of Australia, contact our team and we’d love to start that conversation with you!
