Youth on the Air (YOTA)

Youth involvement in ham radio, contests, and special events is increasing all the time.  BARC encourages all interested youth to join us in Amateur Radio.  We provide licensing help and exam sessions that are youth-friendly.  Youth are also welcome at any club meeting, radio net, and activity.

To learn more about YOTA please see the national page here: https://youthontheair.org/

Current Activities:

December is Youth on the Air Month. Youth on the Air (YOTA) Month is an annual event held every December to celebrate and promote youth involvement in amateur radio. This month, young amateur radio operators worldwide take to the airwaves using special YOTA callsigns to make as many contacts as possible, encouraging others to engage with and support youth in the hobby. The event highlights the enthusiasm and talent of young operators, fosters connections across borders, and raises awareness about amateur radio as an exciting and educational activity for the next generation.
As part of YOTA month BARC is hosting an event. We will have a HF radio for the youth to use. Pizza will be also served. We are inviting all licensed and unlicensed youth to come between the ages of 8 and 18.
Friday, December 27th – Noon to 3 PM
Cache Valley Sheriff’s Office 3rd floor classroom

Organizer: Jordan Luke, KF7YEM

School STEM Fairs

We are looking for ham radio operators and club members to staff  our table at the STEM events in Cache County School District and other local schools.

We need a couple people to help at our table each night.  We will present the topics of Electromagnetic Radiation, Radio Waves and Amateur Radio with elementary-age youth, their siblings, parents, and teachers; with the aid of hands-on demonstrations and visual aids.  We promote excitement for our club, activities, and the spirit of Amateur Radio!

Most STEM fairs at local schools are held from 6-8 pm and are usually held in the school gymnasium.  
Set-up begins at 5PM.  See the calendar below for more details on each event.
This form includes the dates and times for all tentative STEM fairs being held in the 2024-2025 school year.  Sign up using this form:
North Park Elementary: January 9, 2025
River Heights Elementary: January 15, 2025
Wellsville Elementary: January 22, 2025
Heritage Elementary: January 30, 2025
Bridger Elementary: TBD, usually February
Canyon Elementary: February 6, 2025
Providence Elementary: February 13, 2025
White Pine Elementary: February 20, 2025
Cedar Ridge Elementary: March 13, 2025
Sunrise Elementary: Date: March 18, 2025
Greenville Elementary: March 24, 2025
Ellis Elementary: TBD, usually April
CCID Charter School: TBD, usually April

Lead Organizer: Russ Leikis, KE7VFI

 

Science Unwrapped – USU College of Science

Science Unwrapped is the College of Science’s public science outreach program. During the school year, Science Unwrapped hosts monthly gatherings featuring a science lecture, following by hands-on learning activities and refreshments.  Inquiring minds of all ages are invited to learn about the wonders, the joys, the mishaps, the fun, the unexpected detours and the excitement of scientific discovery.

BARC is scheduled to support these events on the following dates.  We will have a table similar to the STEM fairs promoting Ham Radio and BARC.  These are on campus but are family-friendly events so bring your family to have a fun evening too!

Sign up to help using this sign-up sheet:

https://evite.me/BYJzjhGwjS

  • January 24, 2025
  • February 21, 2025
  • March 21, 2025
  • April 11, 2025
Lead Organizer: Jordan Luke, KF7YEM

School ARISS Contacts

We are looking for teachers who teach space/STEM who would be interested in applying for a ARISS contact for their students with astronauts on the International Space Station.  ARISS takes applications several times a year now.  Appropriate classes can be from elementary through high school; and public, private or charter schools.

If you know of a teacher in the Cache, Box Elder or Franklin county areas that might be interested please connect me with them.  We want to be able to help at least one school a year, and could probably accommodate two.

More information can be found at: https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html

Organizer: Kevin Reeve, N7RXE

Ham Radio in Space

High altitude balloon classes

We have partnered with Cache Makers 4-H for projects mentoring youth to build and launch a high altitude balloon payload over 9 weeks.  We have mentors for the following areas:

  • Soldering
  • Arduino Programming, electronic breadboard with sensors and LEDs, etc.
  • Balloon Launch
  • Balloon Recovery, tracking, APRS
  • Telemetry data
  • Live Streaming of launch, photography, etc.
  • Parent Coordination for launch and recovery day
  • LORA telemetry receiver building (Arduino based system, each youth will build one)
  • Making On-Air Ham Radio contacts. (HF, VHF, DSTAR, AMSAT)
  • Teaching about what you can do with Ham Radio – how to get your license etc.

These classes have been a lot of fun and we hope to continue them in the future.  Check back here for more information.

Organizer: Kevin Reeve, N7RXE