America 250 Drone Extravaganza
Broward College students came together to celebrate our nation's 250th Anniversary, or semiquincentennial, with technology, creativity and teamwork.
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Broward College students came together to celebrate our nation's 250th Anniversary, or semiquincentennial, with technology, creativity and teamwork.
On July 1, 2026, Broward College’s Information Technology & Engineering department hosted the America 250 Drone Extravaganza at the Central Campus Gym. The event brought students, faculty, staff and guests together for an interactive celebration combining drone technology, computer programming, engineering, visual storytelling and patriotic history.
Created in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the experience challenged Broward College students to transform dozens of individual drones into one coordinated swarm. Through flight, synchronized lighting and music, students explored how technology can be used to create a shared moment of creativity and celebration.
The event began as a hands-on swarm intelligence lesson. Students worked in small teams to prepare groups of three, four or five drones, connect their controllers through multiport USB hubs and program them using Python.
Their first objectives were to:
Connect multiple drones as a swarm.
Program the drones to take off and land together.
Synchronize their LED lights.
Transition the LEDs through red, white and blue.
Prepare each team’s drones to contribute to a larger coordinated performance.
The handbook introduced students to both the hardware and software sides of drone operation, including controller setup, Python file creation, swarm commands, battery preparation and safe group operation.
The America 250 Drone Extravaganza demonstrated that a drone performance is not created by flight alone. It requires a combination of:
Programming
Students used Python and CoDrone EDU swarm commands to control multiple drones.
Engineering
Teams connected laptops, USB hubs, remote controllers, batteries and aircraft into working systems.
Mathematics and Geometry
The “1776” display required organized spacing, coordinate planning and accurate placement.
Visual Design
Color, formation, timing and audience perspective were treated as parts of the overall story.
Teamwork
Each student group managed only part of the swarm. The final concept depended on all teams contributing to one coordinated performance.
Event Production
Students experienced the preparation, testing, battery management, rehearsal and timing required to move a technical project from the classroom to a live audience.
The centerpiece of the event was an audience-facing 1776 formation representing the year of American independence.
A total of 62 drone positions were designed across four coordinated number groups. Students and instructors worked from assigned tables and drone ranges, allowing smaller teams to control individual portions of the larger display.
The formation was planned with:
Red, white and blue lighting.
Approximately three feet of space between drones.
Separate groups for each digit in “1776.”
Coordinated lighting, movement and finale sequences.
A safe return and landing sequence.
This transformed the event from a basic coding exercise into a collaborative production. Each team was responsible for a small part of the formation, but every group had to work together for the complete image to coordinate.
Broward College’s mascot, Sammy Seahawk, made a special appearance during the Drone Extravaganza, greeting students, posing for photos and bringing extra energy to the event.
Sammy also helped with the raffle, joining organizers as prizes were announced and helping make the giveaway a fun and memorable part of the celebration. His visit added school spirit to the day and gave students another reason to smile between the drone demonstrations and activities.
The America 250 Drone Extravaganza reflected the combined work of students, instructors, laboratory assistants, organizers and Broward College’s Information Technology & Engineering department.
Every connected controller, charged battery, line of Python, assigned drone and student team contributed to the larger vision. The project showed what becomes possible when education, technology, art and community come together around one shared goal.
