Inspire the next generation
UpLift is the outreach program of the Texas A&M Vertical Flight Society, designed to give underrepresented high school students direct, sustained exposure to real engineering work. The program runs through once a week, semester long sessions where students are guided through the full aerospace design cycle, structured deliberately to mirror how the Vertical Flight Design Team operates at the collegiate level.
Students progress from concept and requirements definition through design, fabrication, integration, testing, and iteration, rather than isolated workshops or demos. Each cohort builds a complete 5 inch FPV drone from the ground up, learning airframe design, electronics, assembly, and flight fundamentals along the way under the mentorship of college engineers. The program culminates in a final fly off, where students fly their own aircraft in a structured event that emphasizes preparation, performance, and ownership of the system they built. The intent is to demystify engineering by treating students as capable designers, not observers, and to create a clear, credible bridge from early interest to real technical confidence.
UpLift is organized with a small leadership core and a broad volunteer base to keep the program scalable, safe, and impact driven. One to two Program Managers oversee scheduling, logistics, partnerships, and alignment with VFS, while three Curriculum Coordinators are selected for their technical strength and commitment to developing and maintaining the FPV drone curriculum that guides students through the full design, build, and flight cycle. Curriculum Coordinators gain deep hands on experience in system integration, instructional design, and technical leadership. The backbone of UpLift, however, is its volunteers. Any student can volunteer after completing required waivers and training, and no prior drone experience is required. Volunteers work directly with students each week as mentors and build support, making the program accessible, sustainable, and community driven while ensuring consistent delivery through a centralized curriculum.
UpLift is currently in development, with an expected launch of March 2026. For now, volunteers may sign up and train in advance, and Curriculum Coordinators are still being accepted.
