Cape Fear Middle School STEM teacher and Technology Student Association advisor Paul Odom has been awarded a $1,700 Bright Ideas Grant from Four County Electric Membership Corporation. The grant will help expand hands-on learning and innovation within CFMS’s growing robotics, engineering, and rocketry programs.
This is not Mr. Odom’s first recognition, he also received a Bright Ideas Grant in 2024. This year’s award will support an exciting new instructional initiative focused on drone technology, an area of growing interest in both industry and student enrichment.
Mr. Odom plans to use the funds to purchase micro first-person-view (FPV) drones, which will allow students to explore new dimensions of flight, design, and video production. The drones will give students the opportunity to practice line-of-sight flying, autonomous navigation, and first-person-view piloting, where students steer using real-time camera feeds from the drone itself.
“Introducing FPV drones opens up an entirely new world of learning for our students,” said Odom. “It gives them the chance to experience flight the way real drone pilots do. FPV flying is more difficult, but it’s also more engaging and opens doors for creative video work and participation in organized drone racing. My goal is to give students opportunities that spark curiosity and prepare them for future careers in emerging technologies.”
The new equipment will enhance CFMS’s STEM curriculum and support student teams as they compete through the Technology Student Association (TSA), where drone-related events and engineering challenges continue to grow statewide.
