Boost STEM Anywhere with UDL + Drones: CAST Take Flight

About the Presenters

Chris Hesselbein is the Director of the Northwest STEM Hub and the STEM Team Lead TOSA at the Northwest Regional ESD. The Oregon STEM Hub Network is dedicated to providing equitable STEM opportunities for students across the state with the aim of promoting participation in STEM careers. In partnership with the Northwest Regional ESD, Portland Community College, and CAST, the Northwest STEM Hub organized a career-focused professional development session featuring the Take Flight curriculum. This innovative model of PD addresses many of the barriers teachers face while attempting to implement STEM learning experiences. They were provided with high-quality curricula, classroom equipment, industry perspective, connections to other rural teachers, and, most importantly, hands-on experience and confidence. Other STEM Hubs have now joined the effort, and so far, they have involved over 50 teachers from across the state in drone education opportunities.

Laurie Prewandowski is a DoD STEM Ambassador, FAA-Certified Remote Pilot, ISTE-Certified Educator, and experienced digital learning specialist teacher. She holds a master’s in instructional media and is a Certified Education Technology Integrator in New Hampshire. Laurie is a Robolink Ambassador and Certified CoDrone Edu Pilot, actively promoting drone education through workshops and competitions. She has been using the Take Flight curriculum since January 2023 and is a drone competition team coach, guiding students in hands-on coding and flight challenges. She also is an REC Event Partner hosting drone competitions at her school. Laurie has presented drone-focused sessions at the CSTA Conference, NHSTA, and NHSTE, sharing strategies for integrating flight and coding into STEM instruction. Laurie’s passion is inspiring educators to embed real-world STEM experiences into their classrooms, empowering students to think creatively, problem solve, and innovate.

As a Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Jessica Hall is involved in the research and evaluation of CAST projects focused on improving outcomes for all learners, from well-being and cognitive skills to engagement and academic performance, as well as examining and supporting the efficacy of education agencies’ systems of support. Prior to joining CAST, Dr. Hall was a Senior Research Scientist at Pearson and at the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. In those roles, she studied the efficacy of programs designed for professional learners, teachers, university students, and K-12 students. She has expertise in quantitative methods of analysis and outcomes/impact measurement, and she received funding from the NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for her doctoral and postdoctoral research. In her early career, she served as an English literature teacher and an English language instructor.

Adrienne White is the Director of Marketing at Robolink, where she oversees brand, product, and content marketing and helps students’ futures take flight from classrooms to the Aerial Drone Competition. Formerly at Quizizz and Ozobot, Adrienne is passionate about growing educational technology brands with big missions and supporting communities of STEM and CTE educators.

About the Moderator

Dr. Amanda Bastoni is the Senior Director of Workforce and Higher Education Implementation at CAST and Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation-funded Take Flight project. Through Take Flight, Dr. Bastoni and her team have engaged more than 1,100 rural middle school students and 100 educators across 11 states, helping youth build confidence, technical skills, and STEM identity through hands-on, drone-based learning. Grounded in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, Take Flight demonstrates how inclusive design and real-world tools can expand STEM pathways for students who might otherwise be left out. Dr. Bastoni has presented on Take Flight at ISTE, state STEM Hubs in Oregon, and National Science Foundation convenings, sharing evidence-based strategies for engaging rural learners in STEM. Her work continues to connect educators, researchers, and communities to reimagine how accessibility, technology, and workforce preparation intersect in STEM education.