Southside Independent School District Selects USI's Drone Curriculum

The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), the world-leader in remote pilot training and certification, announced today that the Southside Independent School District (ISD) has selected USI’s Small UAS Safety Certification program to be offered to high school students in the San Antonio, Texas, area.  Southside ISD is the second school district to implement USI’s award-winning drone curriculum program in Texas since 2017 and many others are also considering the program for their students.

“Southside ISD is a model school district in Texas.  They have seized the opportunity to educate, train, and certify students as professional remote pilots in preparation for the burgeoning drone industry.  With USI, Southside ISD can deliver nationally-recognized curriculum and offer to their students college and career pathways into the drone industry, which is forecasted to add up to 2.3 million new remote pilots by 2020,” remarked USI President Aaron Greenwald.

Southside ISD is a public-school district located in San Antonio, Texas and consists of eight schools, more than 5,000 students, and is served by 1,000 employees and 400 teachers. Southside ISD is dedicated to proving engaging, dynamic, and relevant experiences for their students, empowering them to become exceptional and productive members of society.

“We are proud that our students are being positioned for an elite career choice, and becoming certified drone pilots provides them with a distinct advantage,” said Southside ISD Superintendent Mark E. Eads.

To learn more about the important work that Southside ISD is doing for their students and community, visit the district’s website at https://southsideisd.org/.

The Small UAS Safety Certification™ is comprised of four courses totaling over 180 hours of instruction. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take USI’s credentialing exam leading to the Small UAS Safety Certification, an industry certification demonstrating expertise in the safe and professional application of remotely piloted aircraft making them highly qualified for careers in the burgeoning industry of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, commonly referred to as “drones.” Students are then enrolled in USI’s Career Pathways Initiative, providing them with a direct link to employers that are looking for professional remote pilots. To date, more than 2,000 students have successfully completed the program which has already been approved by several State Departments of Education.  USI’s program is currently being taught in more than 150 schools across 11 states. USI is in the process of expanding the program into other states across the country and are currently training teachers to facilitate the curriculum for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year.

Courses in the curriculum, each earning students three credits, include:

• •Unmanned Aircraft – six units of study including robotic aircraft and data links.
• •UAS Applications – five units of study including applications, regulations, and operating in the NAS.
• •UAS Personnel – three units of study including human factors and aeronautical decision making.
• •Safety Management – four units of study including safety policy and safety risk management.

Unmanned Safety Institute offers a total of four courses that have been recommended for college credit by ACE CREDIT. For a complete listing of these courses, please visit the Unmanned Safety Institute’s page on ACE CREDIT National Guide website.

About Unmanned Safety Institute

The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) is the industry’s most widely recognized leader in flight safety solutions for individuals, enterprises, and organizations focused on integrating and operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for civil or commercial purposes. The Unmanned Safety Institute, widely recognized as “best-in-class” provides UAS flight safety training and certification to operational standards based on the adoption and modification of time-honored aviation safety practices.  With over 150 instructors and over 4,000 customers around the world, including several Fortune 500 enterprises, USI widely recognized as the global leader in UAS training and certification delivering the most highly-regarded training program of its kind.  USI is the only training and certification organization that is accepted by the FAA, endorsed by major aviation insurance providers, and whose training programs have been evaluated and recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education.  Discover more at www.UnmannedSafetyInstitute.org.

About Southside ISD

Southside Independent School District is a public school district located in southern Bexar County, Texas (USA). It serves the far south side of San Antonio, Texas. The district was created to address the physical and intellectual needs of a growing student population in the Southside Community.

The Southside ISD consists of 8 schools serving more than 5, 000 students and 1,000 employees and approximately 400 teachers. SISD has a total of 7 Board of Trustees, all elected officials.