Saint Peter Indian Mission Catholic School Students Win Aerial Drone Piloting Award
September 11, 2026
Submitted by:
Anna Prakash, Co-founder/CEO of Education Empowers
BAPCHULE, Ariz. — Gila River Indian Community students from Saint Peter Indian Mission Catholic School won the Best Aerial Drone Piloting Award for the Middle School Division at the 2026 Annual Aerial Drone Competition, held on May 2nd at Saint Peter Indian Mission School in the Gila River Indian Community.
Organized by Education Empowers Inc., a local nonprofit, the annual drone competition brought together approximately 300 students in grades 4–12 from across Arizona, including students from the Gila River Indian Community, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, and Apache Junction.
Throughout the spring, students spent two months preparing for the competition by learning how to pilot and program aerial drones to accomplish missions. Teams met regularly at schools, libraries, and Boys & Girls Clubs, where students developed skills in drone piloting, autonomous coding, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.
The competition provided students an opportunity to put those skills into action through a series of piloting and autonomous flight challenges while working collaboratively with their teammates.
For the Saint Peter Indian Mission School students, months of practice with their teacher Mrs. Kinnamon, and teamwork paid off as the team captured the skills award as well as the Best Aerial Drone Piloting Award in the Middle School Division, recognizing their outstanding piloting skills during the competition.
The Middle School Division Championship was awarded to the Chandler community team, while the High School Division Championship was won by a team from the Superstition Mountain Branch of the Boys & Girls Club based in Apache Junction. The Judge’s Award was won by Eisenhower Boys & Girls club, Mesa, Arizona.
Beyond competition and awards, the Aerial Drone Program is designed to give students meaningful, hands-on exposure to emerging technologies and STEM career pathways.
About Education Empowers Inc.
Education Empowers Inc. is a Chandler, Arizona-based nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by mother-daughter team Anna Prakash-Ashton and Elaina Ashton. The organization provides STEM and STEAM educational opportunities to students at more than 50 locations across Arizona, with a focus on expanding access to hands-on learning opportunities for youth in underserved and underrepresented communities.
Education Empowers' mission is to welcome, engage, educate, and inspire youth while empowering diverse communities through education. Programs include robotics, aerial drones, coding, AI, 3D printing, computer-aided design (CAD), soldering, sustainability education, and STEM career exploration.
Through hands-on learning, mentorship, teamwork, and real-world applications of science and technology, Education Empowers seeks to help students develop a passion for learning and discovery, build confidence, and explore educational, scholarship, and career opportunities.
Event: 2026 Annual Aerial Drone Competition
Date: May 2, 2026
Location: Saint Peter Indian Mission School, Bapchule, Arizona
Organizer: Education Empowers Inc.
Website: https://educationempowers.org/
• 20 competitive drone teams participated at our annual Aerial Drone Competition
We are especially proud that:
• 50% of participating teams represented the Gila River Indigenous Community
• 40% of teams came from Boys & Girls Clubs in Mesa, Gilbert, Apache Junction, and Chandler
• 10% represented local Chandler and Coolidge community teams.