ARRL Teachers Institute: Coming to a Town Near You

01/10/2025

The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology is going mobile in 2025. In addition to the cohorts hosted at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, there will be several sessions around the United States this year. The first, hosted by ARRL model school Staten Island Technical High School in New York City, will be held January 21-24.

The format is being refined this year from five days to four. That change, along with taking the show on the road, is expected to make it easier for educators to attend, according to ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA. “Especially for educators juggling a busy family life, a four-day program near them might be an easier option than a five-day trip to New England.” Plans are also being finalized for a session in Kilgore, Texas, in July; and another in the southeastern US.

The programming and support continue to evolve. “We really want to support these TI graduates after they leave, so we have rolled out a Discord server so they can stay in touch with their peers who are also implementing the material they learned here,” said Goodgame.

Providing community support and engagement has proven key to the ongoing success from the program. Staten Island Tech High’s program is led by Everton Henriques, KD2ZZT, a two-time ARRL TI attendee. Henriques has helped many of his students not only get licensed but also be genuinely engaged in amateur radio. Henriques will help ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, teach the program.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Staten Island Technical High School Students talk about the program, January 2025 QST Digital Edition

By developing the network of educators who have benefited from the program and by offering the regional opportunities, Goodgame hopes to receive more applications to attend. TI is free for educators, thanks to funding from donors through the ARRL Education and Technology Fund. There is a $100 application fee if the educator is accepted.

Goodgame sees a long-term benefit to wrapping genuine fun into this radio-centric curriculum. “Inspiration drives innovation so if we don’t inspire young people to innovate and expose them to RF, they’re not going to innovate in those fields,” he said. “Somebody will, it’s just not going to be our kids.” 

To learn more about the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, and to apply to attend, head to www.arrl.org/ti.

Sumber www.arrl.org