Group Discussions
10 topics to discuss in groups to share our experiences:
- How to approach kids under the age of 10 and how to keep them interested?
- How to get new volunteers cooperating with more experienced hams? Scouts? Where could we find them?
- Finding funds to organize events and marketing
- How to approach youth around 10-14 and how to keep them interested?
- No station/technical equipment.
- How to pick the right activities for the right occasion/target group? Which factors should you take into account when planning an event?
- How to approach youth around 15-20 and how to keep them interested?
- How to keep them interested after the introduction?
- Cooperation with the member societies, what could be improved
- How to get new youth in?
- How to approach youth around 21-25?
- How to introduce the hobby without being too overwhelming?
- How can we use the social media and other virtual platforms to our benefit?
- How to reach the clubs and communicate with youth?
- How to close the gap between elmers and youngsters?
- How to keep the youth active after they exceed the YOTA age limit? How to keep them involved?
Approaching different youth age scales
Under 10
Group 12
To introduce children to amateur radio, we should create games that aren't too boring and not too complex; otherwise, the children won't be able to understand them. For example, games in the woods, in parks or at school.
10-14
Group 2
Visiting their school and making presentations about the hobby. Also bring a portable HF station and showcasing to them how to operate. Lego through radio, Battleship through radio, simple ARDF, sport event, SSTV, ARISS Contact...
Group 12
Create engaging activities and slightly more complex, matching their level of education. For example, activities in the woods, parks or at school that are challenging but still understandable for them.
15-20
21-25
Group 11
Approach
- Presentations and workshops in high schools/unis
- Active social media presence, managed by youngsters
- Club stations
- ARDF
- Organize events
- Go to fairs (maker faire, 37C3...)
Keeping them interested
- Regular activities
- Weekly meetings
- Project
- Field days
- contests
- activations (POTA/SOTA...)
- Camps
- ARDF
- Workshops
- Having transceivers available to lend to newcomers
Keeping 25+ active?
Group 12
- establish a mentorship program where experienced hams can pair up with youngsters
- plan activities to appeal all ages such as tech workshops
- Encourage elmers to learn about new technologies and digital modes
- Hosting social gatherings encouraging interactions among members
- Intitiating projects requiring collaborationbetween the youth and the elmers
Event organization
Getting new volunteers
Group 2
Offer help to the community especially in events where there are a lot of youth involved such as JOTA/JOTI. Going to science fairs and setting up a ham radio booth, social media...
Funding
Group 2
Asking for money to big sponsors and letting them know about the hobby and how it is related with technology and experiments. Detailed explications, asking a lot of them. Selling point: World wide, presentations, sponsorship
Group 10
- Reach out telecom companies
- Stores selling radios
- Reach out to government and offer help for emergency/distress
- Reach out electronic/ham radio companies
- Writing articles
Station/technical equipment
What do do when you have no equipment?
Group 2
Ask emlers for equipment they don't use anymore or get a broken one to fix it (ham spirit), join local clubs, YOTA Camps, ask sponsors...Clubs can also organize a monthly fair where they collect old gear used for giveaways.
Group 12
Asking associations or friends. It's also helpful to follow social media pages or websites of local clubs so it's possible to contact them directly
Picking the right activities
Group 2
For sporty people, we can introduce ARDF. For techies, we can introduce RF concepts. Factors to be taken into account being:
- Gender
- age
- income
- knowledge level
Group 10
- Social media -> good advertising
- Schools, Unis
- Fairs -> topics encouraging people
- Workshops (kit building)
- Friends
- newsletter
- Flyers
- Activities in public -> getting strangers interested
- Smaller kids -> ARDF, small radio games
Reaching the clubs
Group 12
There should be more school club stations where the youth can talk through radio and see how it works. Introducing the topic of HAM radio in schools is important so that kids can learn how it works as early as possible. Schools also hold openings where students can freely observe and participate in the activities.