I'm not surprised at who's heading that up and I think it's a great idea.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Walt Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 7:59 AM
Subject: From The ARRL Letter, Vol. 25, No. 18 - May 5, 2006


> This is one of the most heartening stories I've seen in a long time about
> kids and ham radio. We need a lot more of this kind of thing.
>
> ==>HIGH SCHOOL TO OFFER "RADIO AMATEURS AND DISASTER OPERATIONS" CLASS
>
> A California high school that's participating in the ARRL Education and
> Technology Program (ETP--also known as "The Big Project") will offer a
> year-long elective course, "Radio Amateurs and Disaster Operations" 
> (RADIO),
> starting this fall. Moorpark High School math and meteorology teacher Tom
> Baker, NC6B, says the course is the first of its kind anywhere in the US.
> The class curriculum was created in conjunction with the ARRL, the 
> American
> Red Cross and various Ventura County agencies. ARRL ETP Coordinator Mark
> Spencer, WA8SME, gives the new course high marks and says it has a great
> chance to succeed.
>
> "This program has in place all three components that will be necessary for
> success: a motivated teacher, supportive school administration and strong
> support and involvement by the local ham community," Spencer said. He
> attended an April 4 meeting at the school to discuss its "Learn and Serve
> Program," and he believes the support shown at that session will greatly
> boost the RADIO initiative.
>
> "The meeting was well attended, and the attendees included representatives
> of all the emergency management participants in the program, the mayor's
> office, the school and district office, school support staff and the ARRL
> Division and Section," Spencer said. Among those on hand were ARRL
> Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Santa Barbara 
> Section
> Emergency Coordinator Jennifer Roe, AA6MX.
>
> The elective RADIO course is open to students in grades 9 through 12, and 
> it
> will feature instruction from certified experts in their respective 
> fields.
> After studying, testing and meeting any practical skills requirements, all
> RADIO students will come away with an Amateur Radio license (at least
> Technician class), American Red Cross First Aid Training Certification,
> American Red Cross CPR Training Certification and American Red Cross AED
> Training (Automated External Defibrillator) Certification.
>
> Students will learn about and how to seamlessly interface with the 
> National
> Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS) and local
> government infrastructure. They'll also learn search-and-rescue techniques
> among other disaster and emergency preparedness skills. RADIO participants
> will even learn peer mediation skills.
>
> The RADIO course not only will provide service-learning opportunities for
> students but will make them prime candidates as volunteers for service
> organizations and, later, as potential service professionals.
>
> Moorpark High School, which has an enrollment of approximately 2700,
> established its Amateur Radio club, W6MHS, last August, and it became an
> ARRL-affiliated club in October. In December, W6MHS won an ARRL ETP grant
> and received station equipment through the program (some 170 schools now
> participate in the "Big Project"). This August, Moorpark High School will
> host one of the ARRL ETP Teachers Institutes.
>
> "We are very excited about this program," said Baker of the RADIO course. 
> He
> has offered to help other schools in the US to establish RADIO curricula.
> "This will be quite a challenging and enjoyable class. It will give 
> students
> skills to become positively and directly involved with their community, 
> and
> it gives this high school a pool of talented, trained individuals who can
> assist with many on-campus situations."
>
> Contact Baker (805-378-6305) for more information or visit the RADIO page 
> on
> the school's Department of Meteorology Web site
>
> http://www.mhsweather.org/pages/10/index.htm
>
> --
> Walt Smith - Clearwater, FL
> [log in to unmask]
>
>