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Western Pennsylvania Section News, April 12, 2018

 Volunteers Needed – May 11 in Pittsburgh

Volunteers are needed for the Pittsburgh Komen Race for the Cure on Mother’s Day May 11^th. Contact Bob Mente NU3Q for more information and to sign up to help with communications. His email is nu3q@verizon.net

ARRL Announces 2018 Teachers Institutes on Wireless Technology

Do you know a teacher who is also a radio amateur? Please forward this information to any and all “Teacher/Hams” you know. These courses qualify for PA Act 48 credit. The cost of the courses, travel, lodging and meals are free to qualified teachers. Space is limited and the classes fill up fast, so advise teachers to register now.

As part of its educational outreach to schools through the Education & Technology Program, ARRL will offer three summer sessions of the 2018 Teachers Institute (TI) on Wireless Technology — an expenses-paid professional development seminar. The deadline to apply for this summer’s sessions is May 1. Apply online. Teachers Institute provides teachers at all grade levels with tools and strategies to introduce basic electronics, radio science, space technology, satellite communication, weather science, microcontrollers, and basic robotics in their classrooms. Wireless technology can be a useful tool within a context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) project-based education. The Teachers Institute curriculum is designed for motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn more about wireless technology and bring that knowledge to their students.

The goal of the TI program is to equip educators with necessary foundational knowledge and — through hands-on learning — generate the inspiration for teachers to continue exploring wireless technology and adapt what they learn to their classroom curricula.

Interested educators can apply online. The $100 enrollment fee is refunded for applicants who are not selected. A qualified applicant must be an active teacher at an elementary, middle, high school, or community college/university, or in a leadership or enrichment instruction role in an after-school program.

The grant to attend a TI covers transportation, hotel, and a modest per diem allowance to cover meals, instructional resources, and a resource library of relevant ARRL publications.

Graduate credit is available through Fresno Pacific University, which may be applied to satisfy professional growth requirements to maintain teaching credentials. The class is self-contained, and participants are expected to be able to complete all requirements during the class time. Graduate credit forms may be requested at the end of the Teachers Institute.

For more information, contact Ally Riedel at ARRL Headquarters.

Help Wanted

Providing excellent service to a section as big as WPA simply cannot be done by a handful of people. Our WPA friends deserve the best we can give them, and to do that, we need your help! If you have been thinking about volunteering to help, have a look at the list of Station Level Appointments by visiting the ARRL Website athttp://www.arrl.org/field-organization and scrolling down the page to “Station Level Appointments”.

If you’re having trouble choosing, take a good look at Technical Specialist. I’ve often said that everybody is an expert at something, and this appointment gives you the opportunity to share your special knowledge with others. As we all know, a good Elmer can make all the difference to a new ham’s enjoyment of amateur radio. The Elmer works with the newcomers to help them get started in the greatest hobby on Earth, which can lead to their lifelong involvement. The Technical Specialist is sort of like an “Official Elmer” and is the go-to person in your club, town or county for all your questions about antennas, radios, grounding, digital modes, and many more topics. If you are that person, why not make it official? Contact me for more information!

Upcoming Events

Our WPA Section always has something going on, and we’re already off to a running start!

Date             Location                     Event

April 14         WPA                          WPA Spring Simulated Emergency Exercise – Contact your County EC

May 17-20    Xenia, OH                   Dayton Hamvention

June 2-3       Butler                          Breezeshooters Hamfest and WPA Section Convention

In Conclusion

If you’re looking for a program for your club meetings, why not put together some activities for new hams and those who are interested in Amateur Radio? Demo the latest entry level radios like the Icom 7300 and the Yaesu 991A (for example), have some Elmers available to answer questions, have a show and tell about DXing, digital modes, SDR, signal location… the list is endless.

Advertise it as much as you can, especially in schools, colleges, on bulletin boards at work, on your nets, and in person to the hams in your communities who recently got licensed. It doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be done. Who knows, you might make the difference needed to gain some active new members!

Above all else, go out of your way to make new hams feel welcome and respected! We want to make good amateur radio friendships in the best 100+ year tradition of Amateur Radio!

Still looking for more ideas for meeting programs? Drop me an invite or a request for a visit by any of our section staff. We are available to travel to your group, and can discuss a variety of very interesting Amateur Radio topics.

73 and Press On!

Joe Shupienis W3BC