Students from 16 school districts, including 11 from the San Antonio area, competed in the nation’s largest K-12 drone challenge.

What unfolded on the competition floor captured something we see again and again. Students learn best when they are doing real work with real tools and real stakes.

That is the essence of experiential learning. It is the moment when a lesson becomes tangible and a possibility becomes personal.

The event delivered that experience for students at every level. The grand champion was a team from Loma Alta Middle School in Medina Valley Independent School District, a reminder that talent emerges early when students are trusted with challenges that require problem-solving, communication and calm under pressure.
When learning is hands-on, middle schoolers often perform like seasoned competitors because they are asked to think, adapt and create in ways traditional instruction does not always foster.