Next up in our “Ask Drone Girl” series is about drone show courses for schools. If you have a question for Drone Girl, contact her here.

I stumbled upon your pages while researching CoDrone EDU. I am in the process of purchasing an 18-pack of drones. I teach drones at my high school. I like that the drones can be programmed. Have you been able to program a “drone light show” using these?

— Omer

I love seeing drones used in high schools. And I love drone light shows ever since I saw my first one at the Oakland Coliseum put on by Sky Elements. Blending light shows and drone show courses in school? Perfection.

I’m guessing you found me through this fantastic CoDrone review which was written by my friends over at Kammerer Middle School. Some of their sharpest students are using the CoDrone to learn about coding, building and flying — and Kammerer’s students detailed their experience in a review on my site.

But while the CoDrone EDU is a fantastic platform for introducing students to drone programming in both block-based and Python environments, it’s not the best if you really want to put on a drone light show with your high school students. Sure, creating a drone light show with them is possible — but it’s not really their bread and butter. It’s also not explicitly laid out in their standard curriculum or documentation, which is why you’re hitting a roadblock.

The reality of drone light shows with CoDrone EDU

You can customize your CoDrone’s LEDs. With Python coding, you can learn how to change which parts of the drone light up, choose patterns and select LED colors.

But would I call that really a light show drone? Not really. Besides being generally limited in scale, complexity and lighting capabilities, CoDrone EDU drones don’t have high-brightness LEDs suitable for full-scale outdoor light shows. It works for indoor demos or classroom projects as a simplified “light show.” So yes, using their onboard lights and synchronized movement is absolutely within reach.

Of course, you will need to lean heavily on your programming skills and be patient with trial and error, especially in syncing drones over Bluetooth. Some educators have had success using precise delays and pre-coded flight paths, but there’s no built-in “drag and drop” feature for multi-drone choreography.

In short, it’s a suitable option if you, say, already have CoDrone in your school district. But if you’re starting fresh, you have better options.

Three better options for drone show courses in schools

If your primary goal is to introduce students to actual drone swarm light shows — especially if you want to go big with multiple units and visible lighting — here are three solid alternatives:

1. Drone Cadets Swarm Show Program (turnkey, polished, group-ready)

Drone Cadets offers a more plug-and-play experience for schools, camps, and youth groups interested in light shows through its Drone Flight School Course. They’ve built a full swarm curriculum using specialized drones made just for this kind of thing. You’ll get:

• Pre-synced, custom-built drones for light shows
• Software designed to choreograph formations
• Full lesson plans, ideal for educators
• In-person or virtual training available

And besides just learning how to fly drones, you’ll learn other skills like soldering, flying and FAA rules. Now the catch? This course is pricey. The 20-hour course is enough to train 20 students, and it costs $25,000.

It’s a higher-end investment, but well worth it for schools seeking something structured and impactful. Plus, their team is responsive and helpful for teachers just starting out.

I did have the joy of trying out a one-hour version of the course for myself, which I condensed down into a 4-minute video. Check it out here:

2. Drone DoJo Light Show Course (budget-friendly, DIY-focused)

If you’re more of a hands-on tinkerer and prefer to lead the charge yourself (or if $25,000 just sounds like a lot to you), you have another option. That’s Drone Dojo’s Light Show course, which is a self-paced, online course that walks you through building your own fleet of light show drones.

The course itself costs just $27 per month, unlocked through a Blue Belt Membership with Drone Dojo. Drone Dojo actually offers all sorts of courses on other topics such as how to build a Raspberry Pi drone and “How to program a drone using Python.”

This course is pretty advanced, so it would only be suited to higher-level, motivated students in a smaller group (say an after-school robotics club). With it, you’re expected to do your own soldering and 3D printing (and of course, coding).

And if $27 sounds too good to be true, that’s because it’s the price of the course only. The course is largely written around the assumption that you’ll use Drone Dojo’s PiHawk drone kit, which costs $1,000 per drone. If you want a 10-drone light show, well, you’ll need to fork over $10,000 on gear.

Learn more about the Drone DoJo Light Show Course.

3. DroneBlocks Light Show Kit (artistic, STEAM-focused)

The DroneBlocks Light Show Kit is a mid-point between structured and DIY. At $7,495 for a 10-drone kit, it’s an investment — but one designed specifically for indoor light shows in classrooms and gymnasiums. The drones use ultra-wideband (UWB) base stations for precise indoor positioning (no GPS required), and the software allows students to design, simulate, and perform their own light shows.

What makes DroneBlocks shine:

• A visual, drag-and-drop interface to choreograph drones
• Real-time simulation before flight
• Repair tools and tripods for setup
• A curriculum-lite approach that encourages creativity over strict lesson plans

This kit doesn’t come with a full curriculum like Drone Cadets does, but it’s also a lot cheaper. If you’re leading an after-school STEAM club or robotics team and only looking for drone show courses (but don’t need the rest of drone curriculum cover), DroneBlocks is a solid pick.

And of course, prices go up the more drones you add. For example, a 90-drone kit costs $58,000.

Learn more about the DroneBlocks Light Show Kit.

Picking a drone show course for schools

If you’re sticking with the CoDrone EDU 18-pack, you can create a simplified light show experience with some creative programming and patience — but you’ll be pushing the limits of what the system was designed for. For a true educational light show experience, I’d recommend supplementing or switching to one of the above systems depending on your budget and goals.

If a light show is your focus, I’d recommend starting with either Drone Cadets for ease, Drone Dojo for DIY flair, or DroneBlocks if you have the budget and want to emphasize design and creativity.

Either way, your students are going to have an unforgettable learning experience. Happy flying!

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