USING DRONES TO RECOVER LOST HISTORY
The DRONe Project (Descendants Recovering our Names) seeks to create a new generation of innovators in the field of digital historic preservation and drone technology with the skills to becme high-income earners via a paid workforce development program.
OGL Expands Its Legacy of Innovation
At Our Genetic Legacy (OGL), innovation is more than a buzzword — it’s the foundation of how we connect the past to the future. By blending technology, storytelling, and cultural preservation, OGL continues to empower the next generation of changemakers to use STEAM tools to reclaim history and build the workforce of tomorrow.
Beginning February 2026, OGL will launch two groundbreaking programs in San Diego and Los Angeles that merge historical exploration with advanced drone technology. The first, the All Boys FPV Mapping Cohort, transforms drone flight training into a journey through time. Participants will earn their FAA Part 107 certification, master FPV flight, and in June 2026, travel from Africatown, Alabama, to Toronto, Canada, capturing aerial footage that retraces the Underground Railroad. Their work will culminate in the Flight to Freedom exhibit at the We The People Museum, showcasing drone cinematography that reveals new perspectives on courage and liberation.
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Also launching in February, the GIS for Historic Preservation program will empower certified drone pilots to become digital historians. Participants will map and preserve Allensworth, California — the state’s first Black-founded town — using GIS, 3D modeling, and photogrammetry to create the interactive museum exhibit Mapping Freedom: Allensworth’s Legacy in Layers. The project demonstrates how technology can do more than capture history — it can reshape how the world remembers it.
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OGL invites communities across San Diego and Los Angeles to spread the word and help us recruit the next generation of drone pilots, digital storytellers, and history makers ready to take flight — and change the future.
Making History
Cohort 2 -
International
Travel internationally working as a Digital Historic Preservationist, and become a licensed drone pilot with international travel experience. Now accepting interest forms for 2023 - 2024 cohort. Please see flyer for eligibility details.
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The DRONe Project
The DRONe Project, Descendants Recovering Our Names, launched in 2022 as a workforce development initiative tailored for BIPOC high school girls. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by girls, particularly those from underrepresented communities, we sought to provide real-world experience within a supportive environment conducive to building confidence and leadership skills.
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To date, we have mapped two historically significant sites in San Diego, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, studying significant historically significant sites.
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The profound impact of our program has spurred the initiation of training for 18- to 24-year-olds to staff our expanding initiatives.
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As our program flourishes, it becomes imperative to uphold our commitment to providing these invaluable opportunities at no cost to our participants. We remain steadfast in empowering BIPOC girls through innovative STEAM programming, fostering pathways to success, and reshaping historical narratives for generations to come.
