#384 TUE | Herding Drones

Education: AI-Powered Tool for Future Social Workers

Research: It’s Like Herding Drones

Featured: CityClips | Building a Newsletter Business Tips Pt. 2

PSA: Reminders for May 1st

FL Tech Events

Florida State University’s College of Social Work, in collaboration with the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, is introducing an innovative AI-powered virtual training tool to enhance education for child welfare students and future case managers.

The tool offers immersive, realistic simulations where students can practice critical observation and interviewing skills in a safe, controlled virtual environment, focusing on real-world scenarios like allegations of abuse or neglect.

Students will be able to inspect virtual homes for potential risks and protective factors, using color-coded pins to flag important items and build rationale narratives that will be reviewed later.

This immersive training experience aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, ensuring students are well-prepared for real-world challenges in child welfare. 🧒

Developed in partnership with MeetKai, the tool reflects FSU’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology and AI into educational practices, setting a new standard for immersive learning experiences in social work. 👨‍👨‍👦‍👦

Drones are becoming more widespread, from delivering blood in rural Rwanda to helping track down fentanyl labs, but their misuse poses serious risks, including threats to public safety, airspace security, and even national defense. 🛡

At the University of Florida, Professor Warren Dixon is leading cutting-edge research to help manage and monitor drone activity using AI, satellite tech like Starlink, wheeled and dog-like robots, and new tools that can jam or disable rogue drones.

The team is developing AI systems that allow drones to coordinate in swarms and make decisions in real time—without human input—so they can respond to threats or cyberattacks on the fly.

One major concern: the growing ability for a single person to control thousands of drones simultaneously from anywhere in the world. UF researchers are working on ways to detect these drones and stop them before they enter restricted zones. ⚠

Their goal is to stay ahead of evolving threats and support smarter regulation, using technologies that can one day be scaled and adopted broadly to keep the skies—and the people beneath them—safe.

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Early-bird pricing for Girls on the Run 5K, Jim Moran Institute’s Annual Conference expires on May 1st.

NAT20’s "A Nerdy Book Swap” | Thursday, May 1 | 5:30 to 7:30 PM | Courtyard Cafe & Games | 111 S. Magnolia Dr., #14 | Free

Featured Event: Skies Over Tallahassee | Saturday, May 3 | 10 AM | Challenger Learning Center, 200 South Duval St. | Free Learn More

Leon County Celebratory 5k by Girls on the Run Panhandle | Saturday, May 3 | Check-In: 8 AM; Race: 9 AM | Southwood Town Center, 3196 Merchant's Row Blvd. | $20 to $25 (Early Bird until May 1) Register Learn More

100 Years of the Planetarium by Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee | Saturday, May 10 | 10 AM | Challenger Learning Center, 200 South Duval St. | Free Learn More

Beyond the Basics - Cybersecurity by Tal Chamber | Saturday, May 13 | 8 AM | Challenger Learning Center, 200 South Duval St. | $0 to $15 Learn More

Future Ready Tallahassee - AI Innovations Summit by Tallahassee State College and Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce | Thursday, May 29 | 8 AM | Tallahassee State College, 444 Appleyard Dr. | Free Reserve a Spot

FSU iCamp (2025) by Faye Jones | Monday, Jun. 2 | 9 AM | Florida State University (Headquarters) University Center - Bld. C | $150 Tickets

Tampa Bay Wave Tech|X Accelerator Pitch Night | Wednesday, May 7 | 9 AM | The Tampa Club, 101 East Kennedy Boulevard #4200 | $50 Tickets

Save the Date: 2025 Florida Technology & Innovation Solution Summit | Tuesday, Aug. 12 | 9 AM | Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay | Register