In May 2010, the ARRL Executive Committee reviewed grant applications for the ARRL’s Education & Technology Program (ETP), awarding nearly $6400 to seven schools. More than 475 schools across the country have received support from the ETP in the form of grants for equipment, curriculum and resources, as well as teacher in-service training through the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. The Executive Committee reviews applications for equipment and resource grants twice each year, in December and May.

A goal of the ETP is to improve the quality of education by providing an educationally sound curriculum that employs Amateur Radio to integrate technology, math, science, geography and language arts with core curricula. Amateur Radio and an understanding of radio science are keys to building wireless technology literacy, another important objective.

ETP Grants

ETP grants consist of Amateur Radio equipment, enabling the school to set up a station. Schools may receive activity kits in addition to station equipment. The following schools recently received ETP grants:

Kuemper Catholic High School, Carroll, Iowa: The educator behind this grant application has been developing a program at his school based on his experiences attending an ARRL Teachers Institute. The educator has progressed to the point where he is ready to formalize the ham radio component of the program that he has tested and refined through the use of borrowed equipment. The plan is realistic and incremental and is doable, and the equipment requested reflects the real-world reality.

Edith Starke Elementary School, Deland, Florida: The area surrounding the school site has had a lot of Amateur Radio-related activity integrated into the local schools, with many programs supported by ETP grants. A number of the local educators have attended a Teachers Institute that was conducted in that area last year. This school application indicates that the enthusiasm developed in the neighboring schools for Amateur Radio is spreading. The plan calls for the development of a generic after-school enrichment program using a basic ham radio station. Final approval will be granted once school authorities provide approval for the erection of antennas.

Cherry Creek Elementary School, Lowell, Michigan: This application was approved during the last round of grants, but was held over due to non-receipt of antenna erection approval. The school finally gained and submitted the required approval, an extraordinary effort on the part of the lead teacher and the school site administrator.

Progress Grants

In order for a school to be considered for a Progress Grant, it must already be an ETP School. If a teacher attends a session of the Teachers Institute, that school is automatically considered an ETP School. The following schools received Progress Grants:

Basehor-Linwood High School, Basehor, Kansas: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute, but has moved to the high school since attending the program. This teacher has submitted some very detailed documentation on his program development since attending the Teachers Institute. He is requesting materials to support the connections he is building in his program between electronics, the science of radio, programming and robotics building blocks that parallel the curriculum of the Teachers Institute. He is requesting six robot kits, but will be provided three kits. If this increment proves successful, he can apply for the additional increment at a later date, or leverage the Progress Grant to obtain other grant funding for the remaining three robot kits

University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona: The faculty advisor for this program is requesting grant support to obtain some ancillary equipment needed to upgrade and invigorate their satellite ground station. There is an effort at the University to reengage in satellites to include joining the growing CubeSat effort. Additionally, there is a potential for a collaborative effort between the University and the Tucson-area high schools that have been experiencing a dramatic up-tick in Amateur Radio-related activities as a result of the work Teachers Institute Instructor, Miguel Enriquez, KD7RPP, a teacher in the Tucson Unified School District.

Samsula Academy, New Smyrna Beach, Florida: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute. This teacher received a previous Progress Grant to support a very good, hands-on electronics curriculum at the Academy and has been very diligent in documenting the success of her efforts and providing that feedback to the ARRL and to other schools. This grant request is a follow-on request to take her hands-on approach to the next level. The applicant is requesting reusable instructional resources for basic electronics.

Sitting Bull Middle School, Apple Valley, California: The lead teacher is a graduate of the Teachers Institute and is requesting grant support that will allow him to include Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF)-related curriculum content in his classroom. This is a content area that is stressed during the Teachers Institute. His plan and lessons are well-thought out and make good connections to the State of California’s education standards.