07/02/2021

The first Youth on the Air (YOTA[1]) camp for young radio amateurs in North, Central, and South America gets under way on July 11 in West Chester, Ohio. Among other activities, campers will be operating special event station W8Y from both the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township and from the camp hotel. The camp will run until July 16.

"We are at 23 campers," said Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, told ARRL. "We are very excited to finally bring this program to the Americas. Our young people are bringing an incredible lineup of hands-on sessions for their peers. We hope this pilot gives us the information we need to replicate this camp over multiple locations for years to come. We also hope this brings a more robust community of young hams into amateur radio."

The long-awaited summer camp for up to 30 hams aged 15 through 25 had been set to take place last June but had to be rescheduled until this summer because of COVID-19 pandemic concerns. The camp for young hams in the Americas took its cue from the summer Youngsters on the Air camps held for the past few years in various IARU Region 1 countries.

W8Y will be on the air as campers complete projects, between sessions, and during free time. Dedicated operating times on HF will be Monday, July 12, 0100 - 0330 UTC; Tuesday, July 13, 0000 - 0330 UTC and 1800 - 2130 UTC. Dedicated satellite station operating times will be Thursday, July 15, 1400 - 1700 UTC, and Friday, July 16, 1500 - 1700 UTC.

Camp opening and closing ceremonies and an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station contact (ARISS[2]) contact - currently set for either Wednesday, July 14, at 1503 UTC, or Thursday, July 15, at 1416 UTC. It will be streamed live on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel. The camp opening observance on Sunday, July 11, 2100 - 2230 UTC, will feature keynote speaker Tim Duffy, K3LR. The hour-long closing ceremony on Friday, July 16, will get under way at 1700 UTC. The YouTube channel will also feature a daily video highlighting the activities of the previous day.

ARRL and The Yasme Foundation donated project kits for the campers. XTronics provided temperature-controlled soldering stations. The brochure on the Youth on the Air website includes more details about the camp. For additional information, contact[3] Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.ÿ


[1] http://www.youthontheair.org/
[2] http://www.ariss.org/
[3] mailto:director@youthontheair.org

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þ Synchronet þ Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS

02/18/2022

The application period for the second Youth on the Air Camp for young radio amateurs in North, Central, and South America is now open at YouthOnTheAir.org[1] for radio amateurs aged 15 - 25 interested in attending. The Youth on the Air Camp is set for June 12 - 17 at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester Township (North Cincinnati), Ohio. The submission deadline is March 1. Applications received before the deadline will be given selection priority.

It costs nothing to apply, but a $100 deposit is required upon acceptance. Scholarships and waivers are available. Campers are also responsible for transportation when arriving to or departing from the camp hotel. Travel during camp events is provided. Travel assistance may also be available, especially for those traveling from outside the US. Campers will be selected by and notified by March 15. To encourage attendance from across IARU Region 2, slots will be held open for campers throughout the Americas. If positions become available, these will be filled from the waiting list.

Changes in the COVID-19 pandemic status and CDC guidelines between now and June may impact plans to host the camp. For additional information, contact[2] Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.

"At this time, we have a high level of confidence that hosting the camp June 12 - 17, 2022, will be possible," Rapp said. "Should we not be able to host the camp or need to reschedule, we will let everyone know with as much notice as possible. Appropriate requirements on masking and vaccination status will be announced as needed."

ÿ ÿÿ


[1] http://www.youthontheair.org/
[2] mailto:director@youthontheair.org

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þ Synchronet þ Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS