SHEFFIELD — For the third time in four years, the Mount Everett Aerial Drone Club is advancing to the East Regional Championship — and for the first time, it’s sending two teams.

Seventh graders Jordan Maria-Rivera, Massi Bruno and Brayden King won a competition in Bristol and qualified for the championship at Fairmont State University in West Virginia. Ninth grader Eli Lemmen and 10th grader Nico Bruno also qualified for the championship through an at-large bid.

Several members of the Mount Everett Aerial Drone Club will be competing next month in the East Regional Championship in West Virginia.

This will be Nico Bruno’s third trip to the championship, the first alongside his little brother.

Communication and collaboration are key to winning a drone competition, the students agreed. On a three-person team, one student serves as the pilot, controlling the drone, another as the co-pilot, and a third as the visual observer.

The school was among the first in the state to form a competitive aerial drone team and compete in a regional tournament. The drone club is part of Mount Everett’s longstanding and popular robotics program led by Christopher Thompson, the school district’s technology director.

“I think the parents enjoy the kids having another opportunity to do something that's technology-based, but not phones, so that's nice, too,” Thompson said.

In each round, a Southern Berkshire Regional School District team is paired with a randomly assigned partner to navigate an obstacle course, scoring points by knocking down balls during a 90-second flight. Points are also given based on where the drone lands in the final 30 seconds.

Five members of the Mount Everett Aerial Drone Club will compete next month in the East Regional Championship in West Virginia.

“You’re going through the course while trying to knock these balls down,” Jordan said.

In December, Thompson said it took Brayden the full 30 seconds to complete a loop and land. Now, he can do it in just 10, giving him more time to score before time runs out.

“The kids that are choosing to do this really want to do it, so they're quite focused and engaged and love what they're doing,” Thompson said. “It's a pretty fun thing to be a part of and see them grow.”

Mount Everett seventh graders Jordan Mira-Rivera, 13, left, Massi Bruno, 12, center, and Brayden King, 13, have qualified for the East Regional Championship and will be competing in West Virginia in May.

For the seventh graders, it’s all three of their first years on the drone team, but they have all loved flying drones for a year now. Going to competitions allows them to engage with others who have the same passion.

“It’s super cool to see how people do many different things with drones,” Massi said.

Since teams are paired with another group at random, this challenges students to work together under pressure. With little time to prepare, they must quickly meet, form a strategy and compete as a unit.

But, Brayden said he isn’t focused on the life lessons, rather he is having fun and the skills are a bonus.

“I love the competition and just hanging out,” he said.

Three seventh grade members of the Mount Everett drone team qualified for the East Regional Championship next month in West Virginia. Two older students earned an at-large berth as well.

The competitions are hosted by the Robotics Education Foundation, which supports robotics as part of STEM education. To be successful, the students have to understand how drones work and be able to work together to repair and care for the drones.

There is also some programming involved, alongside hands-on skills like repairing motors, managing batteries and troubleshooting issues.

Until the competition in May, the two teams will continue practicing to keep up their skills.

“Practicing is just working the drone to see if it’s drifting or doing something weird,” Massi said. “Don't get rusty, also.”

Thompson said he appreciates that many drone team members are involved in multiple activities, including sports, but that the team highlights a different kind of excitement, one rooted in STEM, while helping prepare the next generation of robotics and aerospace engineers.

“These competitive programs are really trying to bring the excitement that our culture brings to sports, but bring it to technology and let these kids know if you’re into tech, if you’re into computers, if you’re into robotics, there’s a place for you,” Thompson said.