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] > >