The ARRL Education & Technology Program (ETP) will offer three Teachers Institute (TI) sessions this year. The ETP is aimed at preparing teachers to meet the “STEM Challenge” — introducing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in their classrooms. Two sessions of the basic program (TI-1), which provides an introduction to wireless technology, and one session of the advanced program (TI-2), for educators who have completed the basic program, are planned for this summer. This year’s advanced session will focus on remote sensing and data gathering.

“The ARRL Teachers Institute is an intensive, expenses-paid, 4 day in-service teacher training opportunity,” explained Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, ARRL’s education services manager. “It is designed to help participating teachers develop a deeper understanding of basic electronics, the science of radio, space technology, microcontroller programming, and basic robotics.” Johnson said the objective of the basic seminar is to guide teachers in making connections between science and math concepts, as well as to demonstrate the engineering and technical application of those concepts and to offer some hands-on exploration. Sessions are open to active teachers of grade levels 4-16 at a school, college, or professional educational organization, or a leader of a school-affiliated enrichment program

“We look for teachers with a vision for how to apply the training they will receive at the Teachers Institute in their classrooms,” Johnson said. An Amateur Radio license is required for advanced session participants; basic session participants do not need to hold an Amateur Radio license. The basic sessions are limited to 12 people, while the advanced session is limited to 10 participants.

The introductory sessions will address fundamental concepts of wireless technology, microcontroller essentials, and the teaching of basic robotics. The advanced session on remote sensing and data gathering will concentrate on basic sensor electronics, the microcontroller programming involved in accessing the sensors, and the use of radio to communicate sensor output data to users.

Johnson points out that Amateur Radio has long been fertile ground for gaining knowledge with electronics and for hands-on experimentation and application of technology. “Drawing upon this,” she said, “the ARRL Education & Technology Program provides an opportunity for educators to learn how basic electronics and radio science are applied and how to convey these concepts to their students.”

The two TI-1 sessions — Introduction to Wireless Technology — will take place June 23-26 at Dayton Amateur Radio Association, Dayton, Ohio, and July 22-25 at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. The TI-2 session — Remote Sensing and Data Gathering — will take place July 8-11 at ARRL Headquarters.

More details and a downloadable application are available on the Teachers Institute web page. An enrollment fee of $100 is required with applications, although this will be refunded if the applicant is not admitted. The application deadline is May 1. For additional information, e-mail or call the ARRL Education & Technology Program at 860-594-0296.

The ARRL ETP and the Teachers Institute are funded entirely by contributions.