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.

Two TI levels are offered. The introductory TI-1 course will be offered twice this summer: July 16 – 20 in Dayton, Ohio, with Larry Kendall, K6NDL, and July 23 – 27 at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, with Tommy Gober, N5DUX. The TI-1 course is a prerequisite for the advanced TI-2 course, which will be offered July 9 – 12 at ARRL Headquarters with Matt Severin, N8MS. TI-2 students must hold an Amateur Radio license. An Amateur Radio license is not required to take the introductory workshop.

The TI is only the beginning of a participant’s exploration of wireless technology. The goal of the TI program is to equip educators with necessary foundational knowledge, and — through hands-on learning — inspire them to continue to explore wireless technology, adapting relevant content into classroom instruction.

Qualified applicants must be active teachers at an elementary, middle, high school, community college, or university, or be in a leadership or enrichment instruction role in an after-school program. Teachers Institute grants cover transportation; accommodations; a modest per-diem for meals; instructional resources for the electronics, microcontroller, and robotics segments of the course, and a resource library of relevant ARRL publications. A refundable $100 enrollment fee must be submitted with the application.

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

More information is on the ARRL Education & Technology Program page. Contact ARRL Lifelong Learning and Knowledge Department Administrator Ally Riedel with any questions.