ARRL will offer four sessions of the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology in June and July as part of its educational outreach to schools through the Education & Technology Program. The Teachers Institute (TI) is an expenses-paid professional development program intended to provide teachers with tools and strategies to introduce their students to basic electronics, the science of radio, space technology and satellite communications, weather science, microcontrollers, robotics, and amateur radio. The curriculum is designed for motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn more about wireless technology, gain hands-on experience, and bring that knowledge to their students. Class sizes are limited to 12 teachers. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2022.

“I invite you to apply and to share this incredible opportunity with schools and teachers,” ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, said. Goodgame said to contact him via email with any questions.

Sessions this summer will be held in Newington, Connecticut, and in Dayton, Ohio. There are two levels — TI-1 Introduction to Wireless Technology, and TI-2 Remote Sensing and Data Analysis. TI-1 is a prerequisite for TI-2.

TI-2 focuses on the basic electronics of sensors (temperature, pressure, position, humidity, etc.), converting analog sensor data to a digital format, programming the microcontroller to read and interpret the data, and using radio to send the sensor data to the user. After learning the basics of remote sensing, teachers assemble a sensor package to collect environmental data remotely.

A 2022 brochure is available from the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology web page. An explanatory video is also available.

The ARRL Teachers Institute recognizes that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction must focus on the connection among these fields. Because it is the teacher’s role to make these connections for students, teachers need to know the science and math content and understand, in sufficient detail, the technologies used in order to make the connections for their students.

The Teachers Institute is only the beginning of a participant’s exploration of wireless technology. The goal of the TI program is to equip each schoolteacher with necessary foundational knowledge and, through hands-on learning, generate the inspiration for teachers to continue to explore wireless technology and adapt relevant content into their classroom instruction.

This training serves as an excellent foundation for schoolteachers interested in including classroom learning about radio communications and wireless technology as part of student preparation for participation in the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.

This in-service training program is supported entirely by generous philanthropic donations. TI opportunities are virtually free for participants. The grant to attend a TI covers transportation; hotel; a modest per diem to cover meals; instructional resources for the electronics, microcontroller, and robotics segments of the course, and a resource library of relevant ARRL publications. The primary out-of-pocket expense is a $100 enrollment fee.

Graduate credits are available through Fresno Pacific University upon completion of the TI-1 or TI-2 programs. These credits can be used to satisfy professional growth requirements to maintain teaching credentials. The class is self-contained, and participants are expected to be able to complete all requirements during the class time.

Qualified applicants must be active teachers at an elementary, middle, or high school, at a college or university, or in a leadership or enrichment instruction role in an after-school or collective homeschool program. An amateur radio license is not required for the introductory workshop (TI-1) but is required for the advanced TI-2 program.