Category Archives: Youth

Youth Survey

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reddit

This is a repost from the /r/amateurradio subreddit:

Hi all,

I’ve been talking with the ARRL, actually got a response from both the CEO and the Lifelong Learning Manager. I offered to use whatever contacts I have to try and get more hams involved, and to try and see how the younger hams like to operate.

If you’ve got a couple minutes, if you could please fill out this survey:

Getting Young Hams Involved

It’s a google survey. I’m not collecting email addresses, and don’t hesitate to skip anything that you don’t want to, or don’t feel comfortable answering. The information will be used solely to try and grow the hobby. Results will be shared in one way or another with people at the ARRL, and maybe I’ll reach out to the RAC/RSGB/etc if there’s sufficient results.

There’s a bunch of questions, but most should be pretty fast to click through.

Please only respond if you’re 26 or younger. While those of us slightly above that demographic may like to think we’re young, there’s enough of a disparity between what those of us in our late 20s/30s like and what the younger demographic likes that it’ll skew the results. 26 was chosen as that’s what the Youngsters on the Air group in IARU region 1 use.

I’m hoping to be able to give them real, actionable feedback on how they can help actually get young hams involved. If some of the feedback looks like we can use it here on Reddit, we can also do that.

Thanks everyone!

ARRL Staffers, State and Local Officials on Hand for Massachusetts ARISS School Contact

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Note: This is a re-post from the ARRL national website here.

ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology alumnus Mariusz Zielinski, KB1MDS, invited ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC, Lifelong Learning Administrator Ally Riedel, KM3ALF, and ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, to witness an exciting November 2 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer, Massachusetts, where Zielinski teaches. Pathfinder Amateur Radio Club students queued up to ask mostly technical questions of NASA astronaut Serena Maria Auñón-Chancellor, KG5TMT.

The Pathfinder ARC said the ARISS project became “a school-wide endeavor, capitalizing on our students’ interests in the trades and STEM subjects, giving them an interdisciplinary opportunity to apply their various skill sets.” Over the 2-year run up to the contact, Pathfinder students fabricated the antenna-aiming and mounting hardware. The club said on its website that it “incorporated many of the technical areas to construct the radio station and prepare for the ARISS contact and challenged our students to learn more about wireless technology and radio science.” One goal of the project was to “provide an educational opportunity for students, teachers and the general public to learn about wireless technology and radio science through Amateur Radio,” the club described.

Palmer Town Councilor Robert Lavoie, Massachusetts Representative Todd Smola, and Massachusetts Senator Anne Gobi were on hand to present a citation of congratulations from the State of Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Wearing an “ARISS 2018” T-shirt designed by students, Zielinski told a WWLP television reporter that the successful contact was even more exciting than the Boston Red Sox recent World Series win.

Further assistance and support was provided by fellow Teachers Institute alumni and Pathfinder instructors Schley Warren, KA1TDL, and Frank Legassey, KC1IYH, as well as from Jack O’Donnell, KC1GZB; Susan Grimaldi, WA1SJG, and Al Grimaldi, KB1XG, of the Mt. Tom Amateur Repeater Association. Legassey, an electronics instructor, and O’Donnell, a physics instructor, earned their Amateur Radio licenses during a January 2018 exam session at the school.

Others pitching in included Gary Thomas, AA1UE, of Wealth Technologies; Ronald Osimo, K1CRR, of the Cheshire County DX Radio Club; ARISS mentor Steve Taylor, W1HQL; Aggie Zielinski, and Anatoliy and Elen Borryssenko of A&E Partnership.

Videos of the Pathfinder contact have been posted on YouTube.

“Experience Amateur Radio” in Worcester

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On Saturday, May 12, from 1-3 PM, members of two local amateur radio clubs will be at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester on 65 James Street to talk about their experiences with ham radio, and give a hands-on demonstration of what ham radio operators do.

The event is meant to perk the interest of kids in the middle school to college age range, although anyone of any age is welcome to come and enjoy the event.

Several members of the Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association and the Worcester County Radio Club (including KC1SDL, W1TAB, WW2JS, W3SJP and others) will be working the event, describing what ham radio is and what you can do with it once you have your license.  A partial amateur radio station will be set up at Annie’s Book Stop and attendees will be able to get on the air.

More on this event is posted on the event’s Facebook page.  Feel free to drop by during the event and say hello!