SEAR Program
Pre-Registration

This page is for students in the Abbotsford, BC region, grades 9-12 to register for the Science Experiential Aerial Research (SEAR) Program - Crop Disease Project during the summer of 2024. This program is being offered through a partnership between the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Volatus Aerospace, along with funding from the Abbotsford Community Foundation.

Volatus is pleased to be offering this program at no cost to the participants!

See below to learn how to register for this program, starting July 2nd, 2024!

Program Outcomes

In the Crop Disease Project, students will learn:

About the career opportunities in the drone and machine learning industries, and basic entrepreneurial skills
Regulations and operating procedures for operating remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to conduct real-world data collection flights in Canada.
How to use scientific tools to measure and understand the relationship between the electromagnetic spectrum and photosynthesis, and how it relates to plant health.
How to use engineering methods to design and test drone modifications to solve a real-world problem, that is how to move a pilot of objects from point A to point B as safely and efficiently as possible!
Basic theory of machine learning and how to use machine learning image classification tools to develop algorithms that can automate image analysis for detecting crop disease, weeds, etc.
Write the Transport Canada Basic RPAS pilot certification exam to obtain their federal Basic RPAS pilot certificate.
How to fly drones safely (indoors and outdoors), and legally.

Schedule

The program consists of:

3-days of indoor learning, taking place at an Abbotsford School District school (to be determined)
1-day of outdoor flight training, agronomy and data collection field day

During the field day, students will use drones to collect aerial data of a crop research site at the University of the Fraser Valley in Chilliwack, BC. Students will be shuttled to the field site on a bus, departing from the same location as the rest of the program.

The program is being offered July 2-5th (weather day July 6th), and August 12-15th (weather day August 16th).

Each day will run from 9:00AM - 3:30PM.

Program Cost

These two iterations of the SEAR Program are being funded in major part by the Abbotsford Community Foundation Agricultural Enhancement Grant.

Standard pricing for this program is $1,000 per person. However, thanks to the ACF grant and a discount provided by Volatus for this program, individual registration costs are now $0.00 per person!

For high school students to register for the program, submit a short essay (details below). Once you have registered, you will be contacted with information about the program.

Register Below

Please fill in the form below, answering the questions as completely as possible. Since there are only 50 spots available, there will be a short essay requirement (250 words or less). Successful applicants will have written a detailed response identifying why you would like to take part in this program. Just be honest and communicate with us - this isn’t an English test, we are looking for passionate and interested learners!

The essay will be assessed based on a rubric that assesses the following: