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Author: Mario, EA1JAY

YOTA Summer Camp 2026 to Take Place in Wagrain, Austria
· Youth GeneralTagged , · Mario, EA1JAY

The IARU Region 1 Youth Committee, together with ÖVSV (Österreichische Versuchssenderverband), are pleased to announce the 14th annual YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) Summer Camp, which will take place in Wagrain, Austria, from 25 July to 1 August 2026.

Following the announcement made during the closing ceremony of the 13th YOTA Summer Camp in Jambville, France, preparations are now underway for another exciting week of international friendship, learning, and amateur radio activities.

The camp will once again bring together motivated young radio amateurs from across IARU Region 1, together with guest teams from Regions 2 and 3. Besides being a unique opportunity to meet other young people, discover new cultures, and enjoy amateur radio in an international environment, the camp is also designed to help participants grow as ambassadors for youth activities in their home countries.

A key objective of the YOTA Summer Camp is not only to offer an unforgettable experience during the week itself, but also to equip participants with practical ideas, new skills, and fresh motivation that they can take home and use to involve more young people in amateur radio. By sharing experiences, learning from one another, and taking part in the programme, participants are encouraged to return home better prepared to support local youth activities, inspire newcomers, and help build a stronger future for the hobby.

If you are interested in taking part in YOTA Summer Camp 2026, please contact your IARU Member Society. They will be able to provide you with the relevant information and instructions on how participants will be selected to represent their country.

For any questions, please contact c.….@mailing.ham-yota.com.

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YOTA Contest 2026 | 1st Round on 15th March
· Youth General · Mario, EA1JAY

The first round of the YOTA Contest 2026 will take place on 15th March 2026, from 10:00 to 22:00 UTC.

The YOTA Contest is one of the key activities supporting the Youngsters On The Air program and aims to encourage the participation of young radio amateurs worldwide, while promoting intergenerational activity on the bands.

Participants are encouraged to work as many stations as possible, with a particular focus on making QSOs with operators under 26 years of age. Contacts with young operators are worth additional points. The exchange consists of the age of the operator(s), and these numbers act individually as multipliers, adding a dynamic and educational aspect to the competition.

The contest provides an excellent opportunity to:

  • Support and mentor young radio amateurs
  • Encourage youth participation in contesting
  • Promote YOTA activities within your national society
  • Strengthen the visibility of youth within amateur radio

Full contest rules are available here:
https://​yotacontest​.mrasz​.org/​r​u​l​e​s​-​2​0​2​6​/​e​n​g​l​ish

More information about the Youth On The Air programme can be found on the official website:
https://​www​.ham​-yota​.com/

IARU Region 1 encourages all Member Societies and individual radio amateurs to take part and actively support young operators on the air.

We look forward to hearing you on the bands on 15th March.

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Youth Engagement Conference
· Youth GeneralTagged , , , , , , · Mario, EA1JAY

A shared folder with the presentations and some useful materials was created and is publicly on the following link: https://​storage​.iaru​-r1​.org/​i​n​d​e​x​.​p​h​p​/​s​/​c​3​k​F​k​8​c​X​a​T​K​W​DYB

Introduction

This conference is organised by the Youth Committee of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1. It is a 4‑day international skills-building event for people who actively support, organise, or want to develop youth engagement in amateur radio.

This conference focuses on the people behind the scenes: volunteers, organisers, mentors who make the youth activities possible; but also the ones who want to enter this area of expertise. It brings together organisers of all ages and radio amateurs of all experience levels to share practical knowledge, build confidence, and create ready-to-use resources for sustainable outreach.

The conference is designed as a hands-on, collaborative working event. Participants will not only learn new skills, but will leave with concrete tools, activity plans, and an international peer network to support their work long after the event ends.

Objectives

The conference aims to strengthen youth engagement in amateur radio by supporting and empowering the volunteers who drive it.

What will participants gain:

  • Practical skills in project planning, budgeting, safety, communication, and outreach
  • Confidence to plan and deliver youth radio activities with less stress and less guesswork
  • Ready-to-use templates, tools, and activity ideas
  • Experience working with international and intergenerational teams
  • Time to reconnect with the joy of radio, reducing burnout and isolation

By the end of the conference, each participant will have:

  • A youth activity plan ready to implement
  • Contributed to shared international resources
  • Built a peer support network they can rely on after returning home

Preliminary Program

The program combines short presentations with hands-on workshops, collaborative sessions, and informal networking. Each topic is followed by practical application so participants actively develop their own activity plans during the conference.

Daily Structure:

  • Morning: Presentations + guided workshops
  • Afternoon: Collaborative sessions, resource creation, roundtables
  • Evenings: Radio operation, networking, social activities

Topics covered:

Project Planning & Coordination

  • Setting aims and objectives
  • Breaking projects into manageable tasks
  • Creating proposals for member societies
  • Writing sponsorship and grant applications

Budgeting & Financial Management

  • Budget planning and cost control
  • Tracking expenses and reporting
  • Understanding hidden costs and valuing volunteer time

Safety & Responsibility

  • Child protection and safeguarding
  • Risk assessment and risk management
  • GDPR and insurance basics

Communication & Promotion

  • Social media strategies for youth engagement
  • PR basics and outreach to schools and communities
  • Practical tools (Canva, scheduling platforms, AI tools)

Engaging Young People

  • Designing inclusive, scalable workshops
  • Curriculum alignment and universal design
  • Creating low-cost, repeatable activities

Problem-Solving & Sustainability

  • Managing challenges and difficult situations
  • Preventing burnout
  • Evaluating success and improving future activities

Technical Details & Deadlines

  • Duration: 4 days (including arrival and departure)
  • Date: 9. – 12.4.2026
  • Location: Holubyho Chata, Veľká Javorina 1048, 916 12 Slovakia
  • Language: English
  • Capacity: 20 participants
  • Age Requirement: 18+

Participation Fees: Participants are expected to cover most costs, included already in the participation fee, ensuring commitment while maintaining accessibility. Attendees are responsible for their own travel costs. We will provide a transfer from the train station in Nové Mesto nad Váhom to Holubyho chata.

  • Standard Participant: Full conference fee of 260€
  • Student Rate: Reduced fee (limited availability) of 150€
  • Motivated Youngster: Up to 5 sponsored places for highly motivated applicants (fee of 50€)

Key Deadlines (indicative)
● Application Opens: 24.12.2025
● Application Deadline: 25.1.2026
● Participant Selection Announced: 8.2.2026 (UPDATED)
● Fee payments: 22.2.2026 (UPDATED)

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Call for applications — YOTA Czechia 2024
· Youth GeneralTagged · Mario, EA1JAY

The IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group together with the Czech Radio Club are pleased to announce the 12th annual YOTA Summer Camp – this time in Czechia.

The event will take place in Prague from 16th to 23rd of August 2024. We are able to host 100 ambitious youngsters from around IARU Region 1 including guest teams from Regions 2 and 3.

If your Member Society is considering sending a national YOTA Team to this event, please fill out the preliminary application form here. The teams consist of a team leader (aged 18 – 30) and 0 – 3 team members (aged 15 – 25). Please choose the participants according to their level of interest for the hobby and the program. The camp is both a place to have fun and become a part of the community, and an opportunity to learn.

The final team size of each member society will be announced after the application deadline on February 29th 2024. Afterwards you will be given more time to name your participants using another online form.

In case you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us via youth@​iaru-​r1.​org.

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KOTA Czechia 2023 — Day 3
· Youth General · Mario, EA1JAY

The Kids On The Air (KOTA) event today had its third and last day held in the Trhanov Castle in Czechia.

The day began with a presentation by Philipp, DK6SP, who shared insights into the possibilities within amateur radio. He told us stories about his travels and showed us how important friendship is in amateur radio.

Before lunch, we got the opportunity to take part in a high-altitude balloon launch, carrying a 20m WSPR beacon as payload.

Over the last two days, we received a step-by-step introduction to contesting. We learned how to do QSOs and had some training in the Off-Air contest. For a final activity, we got to try out our newly gathered skills in a PMR contest, where all participants gathered in the nearby park and got two times 35 minutes to make as many contacts with each other as possible.

The closing ceremony was held in the lecture room, where not only did every participant receive their camp certificate, but the winners of the contests held during the camp got their awards and some presents for the sponsors.

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