FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2016
St. Charles, MO
THE YASME FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO SUPPORT YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN AMATEUR RADIO
The Board of Directors of the Yasme Foundation is pleased to announce three grants in furtherance of Yasme’s goal of encouraging youth participation in amateur radio and operating activities. The Yasme Foundation encourages amateurs to support activities that promote amateur radio and result in new licensees around the world.
The sixth edition of the Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) conference will take place in July 2016 in Wagrain, Austria. Over 100 young amateurs from all IARU regions will gather in the Austrian Alps to participate in a series of programs and workshops about amateur radio as well as inter-cultural exchanges and social interaction. Gatherings such as YOTA exemplify the ability of amateurs to work together across national borders and ethnicities in the best “ham spirit” of friendship. The Yasme Board is pleased to assist in helping young amateurs attend this meeting that otherwise would be unable to attend.
1. Amateur Radio Association of the Republic of Kosovo (SHRAK)
The Yasme grant will enable two youth amateur radio operators from Kosovo to attend the YOTA conference. This will be the first time these amateurs will have travelled outside their home country. SHRAK was recently admitted to the IARU as a member society, an additional step toward enabling Kosovo to be added to the ARRL DXCC entity list.
2. Ethiopian Amateur Radio Society (EARS)
Two youth operators from EARS will also be attending the YOTA conference. This extends Yasme’s support of the ET3AA station and the previous grant enabling travel by EARS members to participate in the 2016 ARI International DX Contest from Estonia. EARS member participation furthers amateur radio activity from eastern Africa and encourages interest in amateur radio by other African youth.
3. North American Participants
Three young amateurs from the United States will also attend the YOTA meeting with the assistance of the Yasme grant and a similar grant from the Northern California DX Foundation. As invited members of IARU in ITU Region 2, it is the hope of both Boards that they will return with ideas for extending the successes of YOTA to young North American amateurs.