Chevron donates new drone to Gautier High through Fuel Your School campaign

GAUTIER, Miss. (WLOX) - It’s not a bird, nor is it a plane. It’s a drone, and it’s the newest learning tool for Gautier High School’s unmanned aerial systems class.

The $1,500 drone has a 4K camera, which will give students a new view on learning.

“We’re able to go out and capture the footage and do various types of projects, from video editing to mapping, and so the students get to fly and utilize those softwares and technology and build their portfolio, so when they graduate they can obtain a job in this field," said teacher David Weigle.

Chevron specially delivered the new technology Wednesday morning, and students wasted no time taking it out for a test flight, excited to use it for future projects.

“You get to see and be able to hover over different things and look at the sky, and now we can be able to examine different things and look at our roof because we’re supposed to get a new roof next year. We will be able to look at the roof and see where all the holes and different stuff if there are any in there,” said student Latwain Sims.

The donation is part of Chevron’s Fuel Your School program, which aims to provide thousands of dollars worth of supplies for STEM-related projects like this one in South Mississippi.

“It’s wonderful that students are provided these opportunities because they are our future, and the technology continues to improve each and every day, and so they’ll be working with drones in the future," said Amy Brandenstein, community affairs representative for Chevron.

Preparing students for the future is the goal of this drone program, which is the first of its kind at high schools across Mississippi.

“We’re just excited here at PGSD to be the first ones in the state and be at the forefront of this new, cutting-edge technology here in Mississippi," Weigle said. "And our students will be able to fill those jobs as more of them become available in our area.”

When people fill up with at least eight gallons or more of gas at Chevron stations on the Gulf Coast, Lucedale and Mobile, the company donates a dollar to help fund the Fuel Your School program.

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