After being postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first Youth on the Air Camp in the Americas is on track for mid-July in Ohio. It will provide a wide variety of ham radio experiences for up to 30 young amateurs from throughout North, Central and South America. At press time, 28 of the 30 slots were already filled. Additional applications were being accepted through June 1.
The camp is scheduled for July 11-16 at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting outside Cincinnati. It is modeled after the very successful Youngsters on the Air camps in International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, encompassing Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and is supported by IARU Region 2 (the Americas).
Planned activities include workshops on contesting, VHF/UHF digital modes, kit-building, antenna-building, amateur radio direction finding and satellite operating. Campers will also operate a special event station, K8Y, from the VOA museum.
According
to organizers, the camp will comply with COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines
as set by the state of Ohio and the Centers for Disease Control, such as
requiring the use of masks, distancing, and sanitizing stations. Some
scheduled activities may have to be substituted. Attendees may be asked
to take a COVID-19 test and/or self-quarantine prior to arrival, depending on
the recommended guidelines in effect in July. The entire staff of the
camp will have been fully vaccinated by the time it begins. Most
volunteers have also indicated that they are fully vaccinated.
The cost of the camp is $100 plus transportation to and from the VoA museum, with scholarships available to those for whom the $100 fee will be a burden. Due to the volatility of the public COVID-19 response, attendees are highly encouraged to avoid non-refundable tickets for transportation to Cincinnati. Tax-deductible donations from the broader ham community are welcome via PayPal or GoFundMe.
For details about the camp or making a
donation, visit <https://youthontheair.org/cincinnati-2020/>. For
additional information, please contact Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, at <director@youthontheair.org>.
