01/12/2024

The Bellevue Amateur Radio Club[1] and the Science Club at Yates Illuminates[2]
teamed up to offer the youth in Omaha, Nebraska, with an opportunity to get on
the air for ARRL Kids Day.

The event occurred on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at Yates Illuminates, a former
elementary school that is now a culture and community center. Amateur radio
operators Dudley Allen, KD0NMD; Terry Gampper, N0BXQ; Frank Jozwiak, KB0EOR,
and Mike Terneus, WB0BEE, served as volunteer operators and were extremely
patient coaches who nurtured the kids' curiosities of talking on the radio.
Dozens of youths as young as 4, as well as young-at-heart Bob Hutton, 91, used
the event call sign to talk to amateur radio operators across the country and
around the world.  

Parents were impressed with Kids Day. One parent said, "The event organized by
the Yates Illuminates Science Club was a perfect blend of education,
technology, and community spirit. My kids were thrilled to delve into the world
of amateur radio, thanks to the expert guidance of the Bellevue Amateur Radio
Club. They learned about radio technology and how to contact other young radio
enthusiasts across the country. This hands-on experience in communication
technology was not only fun but also incredibly educational."  

The final highlight of the day came as each child received their certificate of
completion. Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America were all represented as the
country of birth or the original nationality of the youth participants, and
they talked with amateurs as far away as England and Canada.  

ARRL Kids Day is already planned for next year, and the Yates Illuminates
Science Club will continue to help youth learn the basics of electrical
circuits, electronics, and radio propagation, as well as how to make homebrew
antennas. Foxhunts, the integration of a course in radio, and other applied
scientific learning opportunities (such as wildlife tracking and rescuing,
aviation and space research, and communications) are also planned.  

More stories and photos of ARRL Kids Day can be found on the ARRL Contest
Soapbox[3]

[1] http://www.bellevuearc.org/
[2] https://www.yatesilluminates.org/
[3] http://arrl.org/contests/soapbox

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