VAN WERT, OH – Vantage Career Center STEM and Part 107 Instructor Daniel Joyce will take the stage at the 20th Anniversary Best Practices & Innovations in CTE Conference, taking place September 21–23, 2026, at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Vantage Career Center Instructor Daniel Joyce assists Vantage senior Carson Price, of Kalida High School, as he learns to pilot a drone during hands-on flight training

Joyce will present “Launching a High School/CTE Drone Program: A Blueprint for Future-Ready Skills,” highlighting the development of the Drone Training Program at Vantage Career Center and the opportunities drone technology can provide students as they prepare to enter today’s workforce.

The presentation will explore how drone education can be incorporated into a high school and career-technical setting, providing students with practical experience using emerging technology while developing skills that can be applied across a variety of industries and career pathways.

For Joyce, the program combines a lifelong interest in science and technology with nearly four decades of experience in education.

A graduate of the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom and Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Joyce has spent 39 years teaching science in both the UK and United States. He moved to the United States in 1999 and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

Joyce’s interest in technology and the opportunities it can create for students ultimately led him to propose the development of a drone course at Vantage. Superintendent Rick Turner said Joyce’s vision for the program made it an opportunity he immediately wanted to support.

Turner said-

“When Daniel first came to me with the idea for a drone course, I immediately saw the potential and wanted to help make his vision a reality. He recognized how this technology could complement the skills our students are already developing in their career programs and give them another advantage as they enter the workforce. Today, students who complete the course not only gain valuable hands-on experience and industry-relevant skills, but also earn five college credit hours. Seeing Daniel now share what he has built at Vantage with other career-technical educators is something we are extremely proud of.”

Through the Drone Training Program, students expand their knowledge of drone technology while developing skills connected to unmanned aircraft systems and FAA Part 107 operations.

Joyce said-

“Preparing CTE students for the workforce means giving them credentials that matter tomorrow. FAA Part 107 certification isn’t just a license; it’s a direct pipeline to early career independence and employment value. “

Developing the drone program at Vantage gives students another skill and credential they can carry directly into their career field.

Drone technology continues to expand across a variety of industries, making the training a valuable complement to students’ career-technical education. During Wednesday’s presentation, Joyce will provide fellow educators with insight into the process of developing a drone program within a high school or CTE environment and demonstrate how emerging technology and industry-recognized credentials can be incorporated into career-technical education.

The Best Practices & Innovations in CTE Conference brings together career and technical education professionals to share strategies, programs and practices designed to strengthen CTE and prepare students for future workforce opportunities. Joyce’s selection as a presenter reflects Vantage Career Center’s continued commitment to providing authentic, student-focused career technical training while embracing emerging technology that prepares students for employment and further education.