The sixth annual camp for young amateur radio operators in North, Central, and South America will be hosted at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering June 14-19, 2026.
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama, June 12, 2026— A summer camp for licensed amateur radio operators ages 15 through 25 will take place June 14 through June 19, 2026, at Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama, according to an announcement today by the Youth on the Air (YOTA) Americas working group. The camp is being hosted locally by the Huntsville Amateur Radio Club.
Thirty-five young amateur radio operators from 17 states and two other countries will spend a week learning how to take amateur radio to the next level, building relationships with other young operators. Campers will attend workshops and activities in multiple STEM-related, space themed subjects, such as bouncing radio signals off the moon; electronic kit building; and satellite communications.
The campers will participate in a high-altitude balloon launch into near space (about 100,000 feet) on Tuesday, June 16. The balloon will record video and send back real time tracking and scientific data over amateur radio. Smaller balloons, called pico balloons, will also be launched that day with the intent of circumnavigating the Earth. Data will also be collected from those balloons over amateur radio. The launches will also carry two scientific payloads – one physiological experiment by researchers at Xavier University in Cincinnati and one studying radiation on photographic film.
One of the biggest highlights during the camp will be the chance for selected campers to use amateur radio to talk to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station thanks to the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Program. This radio contact is currently scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 26th at 11:36 PM CDT. Live streaming video and a recording of this event will be available on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel. That channel can be accessed through the YouthOnTheAir.org website by selecting the “Connect” option in the menu.
Campers will also enjoy touring the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the SIGNALS museum, and GigaParts among other activities.
The camp, a modified version of the popular Youngsters on the Air camps in Europe and Africa, is operated by Electronic Applications Radio Service, Inc. EARS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to wireless technologies and activities. The camp is funded by sponsors, grants, and donations, and is open to participants in North, Central and South America and guests from elsewhere.
The opening and closing ceremonies will also be streamed live on the Youth on the Air YouTube channel. A daily highlight video will also be posted, featuring the activities of the previous day.
More information about Youth on the Air in the Americas as well as the
summer camp can be found at YouthOnTheAir.org, and on YOTAregion2 on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
To schedule interviews or obtain additional information, please contact Camp Director Neil Rapp, WB9VPG at director@youthontheair.org or at (812) 327-0749