Union County High School team member Cora Medlin tries to coax her team’s drone during a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.


4-H student teams from fourteen schools across the state clashed at N.C. A&T’s Moore Gymnasium this spring, testing their coding and critical thinking skills during the 2025 4-H Game of Drones competition.

The reward? To be declared the “Rulers of Earth and Sky.”

“This is a computational, thinking robotics competition,” said Jeffries Epps, host and CEO of STEMerald City, LLC. “We see this as an opportunity to give students the skill of coding and decoding that can be applied in the classroom and future career pathways.”

In land and aerial-based challenges, the five high school and nine middle school groups were given eight missions to decipher a mission, then write code using Python and JavaScript to navigate rolling and aerial drones to different points on a 9×9 ft grid, scoring points for accuracy.

“We’re trying to help our 4-H students become better problem solvers, better communicators, and for them to work as a team,” said Mark Light, Ph.D., 4-H STEM (science, Technology, Engineering and Math) specialist in Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T. “In the real world, we all have to work with others and function as a team. This also gives them the technical skills for future STEM careers.”

Two boys wearing safety goggles and matching blue shirts touch palms together in a gymnasium, engaging in a team-building activity. Another child stands nearby, watching.

Vance County Middle School teammates William Schubert, left, and Joseph Freeman high-five after completing a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

In addition to the competition, the event offered a “STEM playground” for younger guests, with similar land and aerial drones, as well as AI robotics demonstrations, on display.

“The playground helps younger folks who may be siblings of contestants or just visitors from the community who want to see the competition but also can try out the robots and drones and become future participants as well,” said Light.

Vance County’s middle school team and Bladen County’s high school team each won first place. Bladen County 4-H student Jackson Bridges received the MVP Award.

“I feel like we worked hard for this,” said Bridges. “Our team won second place last year and I wanted to try harder and win this year, so I feel like we did.”

Vance County team captain and 4-H Youth Development agent Micah Sharpe called winning the top prize “exciting”.

“We couldn’t have done this without our team,” said Sharpe. “They worked hard day in and day out, preparing for today, and put the work in.”

Gallery

Two teens stand facing each other, touching hands as if playing a game. They are in a gym with a folded chair and table holding drinks and bags behind them. Both look focused and engaged in the activity.

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Nash County Middle School teammates Aubree Moss, left, and Sawyer Vandermark high-five after completing a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Three smiling teens stand in front of an NC Cooperative Extension banner, each holding certificates, trophies, and wearing medals around their necks, celebrating their achievements.

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Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A man wearing glasses and a black T-shirt speaks into a microphone at an indoor event. People stand and work at tables in the background, with NC Cooperative Extension banners visible behind them.

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Jeffries Epps, CEO of STEMerald City, coordinates the competition during the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A girl crouches on a gym floor, focusing as she releases a small object, possibly a mechanical device, onto a marked blue strip on the court. She appears to be participating in a robotics or engineering activity.

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Union County High School team member Cora Medlin tries to coax her team’s drone during a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A small red drone hovers indoors near two seated people, one with a laptop on a table, both watching the drone. The setting appears to be a gymnasium with blue padded walls.

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Vance County Middle School coach Micah Sharpe, left and team member Elise Childs watch as their drone carries out instructions during a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Four teens celebrate in a gym, high-fiving. One holds a laptop, and two wear Nash County Drone Team shirts. They stand by tables with tech equipment, smiling and excited.

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Nash County Middle School coach Brittany Pendleton and team member Sawyer Vandermark celebrate after completing a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A young man crouches on a gym floor, adjusting a small drone placed inside a blue taped square, during a school event. Other people and equipment are visible in the background.

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Bartlett Yancey student William McGhee Jr. works as a judge during the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A young woman smiles excitedly with her hands raised, wearing a green headband and a The Gamecprones Union County 4-H T-shirt, facing another person in a navy shirt inside a gymnasium.

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Union County High School team member Cora Medlin rejoices as her team successfully completes a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A set of blue science-themed event wristbands, blue and dark purple buttons with science messages, and a blue silicone bracelet, all arranged on a white striped surface.

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Swag at the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A woman speaks into a microphone while standing with three teenage boys in casual clothes at an indoor event. Behind them is an NC Cooperative Extension banner.

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Misty Blue-Terry, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Administrator for Youth, Families and Communities area, speaks during the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Four young people stand in front of an NC Cooperative Extension banner, each holding a trophy and wearing a medal around their neck. They are smiling and posing for a group photo.

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Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Two students work together on a laptop at a table in a gymnasium, checking papers, while others are seated or standing nearby; a competition banner is visible on the right.

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Union County High School teammates Cora Medlin, left, and Colin Sauercracker work to program their drone during a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A man in a steampunk outfit and a young girl high-five in a gymnasium while people sit and watch in the background.

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Mark Light, Ph.D., 4-H STEM specialist with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Cooperative Extension, right, high-fives a student after a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Three smiling children stand in front of an NC Cooperative Extension banner, each holding a trophy or medal. Two children wear black t-shirts and one wears a red striped shirt. All have awards and blue ribbons around their necks.

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Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A printed instruction sheet titled Mission #5 describes a drone task, with handwritten circles around words like fly, base, TVOC, humidity, first 20 rows, and bar chart. A small photo and ruler are visible.

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Instructions for a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Three smiling students wearing medals and holding trophies stand in front of an NC Cooperative Extension backdrop; an adult kneels in front of them on a gym floor, also smiling at the camera.

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Middle school division winners of the Game of Drones state competition, from Vance County, left to right, Elise Childs, Joseph Freeman and William Schubert pose with coach Micah Sharpe in Moore Gymnasium on the campus of N.C. A&T SU. The win came on Vance County’s first entry in the tournament.

Three teenage boys stand together smiling at an indoor event, while people in the background applaud and cheer. The backdrop features “NC Cooperative Extension” logos.

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High school division winners of the Game of Drones state competition, left to right, Nathan Guyton, Luke Bridgers and tournament MVP Jackson Bridgers, of Bladen County, react as their win is announced in Moore Gymnasium on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Three children interact with a small blue robot on the floor in a gymnasium. Two of the children hold tablets, likely controlling the robot, while the third watches attentively. An orange cone is nearby.

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Left to right, Rebekah So, David So and Rachel So, all in the Forsyth Trail Blazers 4H club, enjoy some time in the Drone Play Zone at the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Two students sit on chairs in a gym; one covers her face in stress while the other looks frustrated at a laptop. A grid is taped on the floor with a small robot ball resting inside it.

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Nash County Middle School teammates Aubree Moss, left, and Sawyer Vandermark when their drone doesn’t respond as expected during a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Three teenage boys standing side by side, each wearing a blue ribbon with a gold medal and holding a green and gold trophy, in front of a backdrop with NC Cooperative Extension logos.

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High school division winners of the Game of Drones state competition, left to right, Nathan Guyton, Luke Bridgers and tournament MVP Jackson Bridgers, of Bladen County, in Moore Gymnasium on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A person’s hand hovers over a laptop keyboard. The laptop screen displays a block-based coding interface with code blocks for a project, likely using a program designed to teach coding to beginners.

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A student works to program a drone during a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Four smiling youth stand in front of an NC Cooperative Extension backdrop. Three wear medals and hold trophies, and one wears a gray 4-H shirt. They appear to be celebrating a recent achievement or competition.

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Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Six young people stand in front of an NC Cooperative Extension backdrop, holding trophies and smiling at the camera at an indoor event.

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Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Two students stand on a gym floor near a table and banner reading AGGIES. One student raises both arms as a small drone hovers above a blue-marked starting area on the floor.

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Nash County Middle School coach Brittany Pendleton and team member Aubree Moss react after completing a challenge in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

A row of gold and silver medals with blue ribbons labeled “GAME OF DROIDS 1st Place” on a blue table next to a black microphone.

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Medals in the Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.

Three smiling teens stand side by side holding green 4-H trophies in front of an NC Cooperative Extension backdrop. The middle person wears a red hoodie, and the others wear dark sweatshirts.

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Game of Drones competition in Moore Gym on the campus of N.C. A&T SU.