What does STEM engagement look like when it starts in PreK? At Harmony Public Schools (HPS), the largest charter management organization in Texas, it looks like 5th graders piloting and programming drones—and finishing 5th at a national championship against high school teams.

Editor's note (April 2026): We first put this case study together during the 2024–25 school year. Since then, Harmony Public Schools has kept soaring. Most recently, Harmony School of Excellence-Katy Middle/High hosted a competition for Mission 2026 Time Warp. Check out their recap below. We couldn't be more excited to watch Robolink x REC Foundation districts like Harmony continue to grow.

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Location: Texas (Houston headquarters)

Enrollment: 45,000+ students across 60+ campuses (PreK–12th grade)

STEM Fast Facts:

• Coding introduced in PreK with block-based programming
• Drone integration starting in 4th and 5th grade
• 90% of secondary students complete advanced STEM Pathways
• 34.5% of students are English Language Learners and Emergent Bilinguals

The Impact

Harmony's STEM SOS program gives students access to hands-on, project- and inquiry-based learning with rocketry, robotics, and drones—with Robolink's CoDrone EDU. The program spans PreK through 12th grade, with early computer science concepts introduced through block-based coding and drone programming beginning as early as 4th and 5th grade.

That early investment pays off. Harmony's elementary, middle, and high school students regularly participate in the REC Foundation's Aerial Drone Competition (ADC), for which CoDrone EDU is an official drone. In the 2024 season, a team of Harmony 5th graders made it all the way to the national championship—and held their own against high school teams.

Yilmaz Kahraman, M.Ed., STEM, CTE, and GATE District Coordinator for Harmony's Houston North District, made the call to integrate drones earlier than most programs would dare. Research supports the benefits of drones in secondary education—increased student engagement, interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking and computational thinking skills development, design thinking competence, and preparation for STEM careers. His team decided those benefits shouldn't wait until high school.

"They were fifth place throughout the entire competition. High school teams—older students—were coming up to our little ones begging them to form an alliance with them. It was great [for our 5th graders] to see that they were capable of something like that."

— Abril Carranza, STEM Coach

The engagement doesn't stop when school lets out, either.

"[Students] will go on Robolink themselves over the weekends to explore what else they can do with code."

— Abril Carranza, STEM Coach

Besides building STEM and computer science skills, students who complete Harmony's advanced pathways come out of their secondary education well prepared for college and real careers. Drones have applications across search and rescue, environmental monitoring, urban planning, and fulfillment—giving students a tangible connection to high-growth career pathways.

3 Steps to Building a STEM Program That Soars

1. Build a Diverse Team

Bring in both veteran educators and industry experience. Harmony's STEM team includes Nathalie Mikeska, a STEM Coach with 12 years teaching middle and high school science, alongside Abril Carranza, who earned her engineering degree before joining the Harmony team.

2. Start STEM Early—Earlier Than You Think

Early computer science concepts are introduced at PreK with block-based coding. By 5th grade, students are ready to pilot and program drones—and compete at the national level. Don't wait for middle school to give students real challenges.

The HSE Austin Drone Team, 2026

3. Commit to Competition

Drones and competition keep students more engaged across a wide range of subjects and skills. The REC Foundation makes it easy, with step-by-step instructions and support for creating and growing your own Aerial Drone Competition team.

At Robolink, we make CoDrone EDU—a classroom drone used in over 7,000 US schools for hands-on STEM and CTE learning.

School and district leaders, if you're ready to take your district's STEM program to new heights reach out today.