Russell Westbrook Launches Drone Pilot Program for At-Risk youth

NBA superstar Russell Westbrook believes DRONES are the way of the future -- so he's made it a mission to help at-risk youth learn to pilot 'em ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Brodie's Why Not? Foundation teamed up with Chad Brownstein and the LA Conservation Corps to help "at risk young adults" in Los Angeles learn digital skills that will help them get good paying jobs in the tech field.

Not only will the students learn coding and computer engineering -- but he's also created an "advanced drone piloting career path program" ... which sounds AWESOME!!!!

"As a kid who grew up here in LA, I know how important it is to feel supported and empowered by the community," Westbrook said ... "By helping to provide these resources my hope is that the youth will be able to see how bright their future can be and expand the vision of what they think they’re capable of."

Westbrook and Brownstein are also funding a state of the art computer lab -- which is huge for kids who don't have the resources to learn computer skills on their own.