Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026

Time:  11:30 a.m. –  2:30 p.m.

Location: Xelevate campus  – 13888 Taylorstown Road, Leesburg VA

Cost: $30 per person. Free for current and incoming students. Includes a full lunch.

Registration: Scroll down to register.

Visitor Access:  You must fill out the Xelevate Visitor Access Form* to attend this event.
*required after registration

You are invited to the NU Club of Washington, DC 2026 Student Sendoff, hosted by our alumni partners at Xelevate. Join us for a day of food, fun, and camaraderie with local area alumni, students and families, as well as an immersive and unique experience on the Xelevate campus.

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Xelevate is the capital region’s first-ever Uncrewed Systems (Drone) Center of Excellence, a 66-acre facility just outside of Leesburg, VA, the first of its kind, co-founded by Norwich alumni! This event will offer a unique opportunity for incoming and current students, alumni, and families to learn how Norwich is at the forefront of an exciting, emerging tech space.

During this send off you will hear from Xelevate’s team (many of whom are NU grads), as they brief attendees on the benefits of becoming an FAA Certified Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot, and the many career options available to those who enter the drone world! With Xelevate serving as a "center of gravity" for the innovative and inspiring ways we see this technology becoming ingrained into everyday society, this event will act as a first introduction to the myriad of industries, government, and military applications that drones will be used for!

Students, alumni, and families will also get to learn about how they can obtain their Commercial Drone Pilots License with the right tools, techniques, and tradecraft to not only launch a career but to make a difference in their communities! With an immersive day at Xelevate, students will get hands-on experience flying drones on a simulator both fixed-wing and quadcopter with our staff as well!

Xelevate looks forward to hosting this unique Norwich experience as they send off future students from the DC area to the Hill. Learn more about Xelevate here.