Have a question? Feel free to ask!  We'll try to answer some of the common ones below.

This site says YOTA is "Youth on the Air".  Isn't it "Youngsters on the Air"?

Yes, you're right.  This is one of the slight changes being made in the implementation of the ideas from IARU Region 1 (Europe/Africa/Middle East).  The words "youth" and "youngster" have a different connotation in different countries.  The committee thought that "youth" translated better in the Americas.  In Region 1, the word "youth" is commonly associated with problem children, but in the USA it's not.  Meanwhile, in the USA "youngster" sounds like an archaic term used by grumpy old men and implies inexperience. But in Region 1, it's a term without any negative connotations that is much more preferable than "youth".  So we made the change to more accurately reflect the connotation in the United States.  While we are modeling the bulk of our camp planning after the fine work done in Region 1, there are some cultural, legal, and language differences that are being made out of necessity.  We work together on projects for younger hams, and both use the "YOTA" acronym.

Is YOTA a club?

YOTA is not a formal organization like a club or foundation.  It is a movement to recognize and encourage young amateur operators.

Who is YOTA?

YOTA is a group of amateurs working to promote youth in amateur radio.
In Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Region 1 IARU provides administration and budget management but in only a supporting role.  In the Americas, a group of volunteers work through an amateur radio related non profit organization to accomplish similar goals and work with Region 1 YOTA.  Grants and sponsorships are used as funding sources.  In Region 3 IARU, some member societies have established their own efforts, all modeled after Region 1 YOTA.

Can I join YOTA?

Everyone is welcome to participate in YOTA-sponsored activities and events but there is no membership requirement.

Is this trying to replace other youth ham radio programs?

Absolutely not!  YOTA America's website and social media platforms are intended to promote already established youth programs within the Americas.  We are simply bringing them together in one place to make it easier to find and keep up with each group's initiatives.  If you have a youth program in the Americas that is appropriate for inclusion on this site, please email us at webmaster@youthontheair.org so we can add it if we haven't already.  If you have a youth net, please list it with the ARRL Youth Nets page.  Since ARRL already established a central list of youth nets, we don't include them here.  Just follow the link to the ARRL Youth Nets page under the "On the Air" tab above.

We are adding ADDITIONAL activities ourselves as well, though, particularly summer camps that are being planned for the future.

If I've already attended a YOTA Region-Wide Camp in the Americas, can I go again?

Our goal with Youth on the Air camps is to get as many young people through the program as possible.  So, typically you can only attend a region-wide camp once.  The only way you can attend additional times is to be a helper.  You can apply to the camp, but be sure to complete the section about what you would like to help with during camp.  We will select a few returning campers to be team leaders and/or session leaders based on the selected topics for that year and the skills of the applicants that apply.

This does not prevent you from attending camps in other regions or subregional camps as they develop in your country.

Why are you having camp when school is in session in my state/province?

Region-wide camps are typically 5-7 days long and offered once per summer.  The host site should rotate geographically so as many young people can attend as possible sometime between their ages of 15 and 25.  Also, the camp dates are rotated to allow for different school schedules.  In most of the United States, schools end in late May or early June and resume in August.  Band camp, sports, and other extra-curricular activities may interfere with possible camp dates in mid to late July,  But in the northeast USA and Canada, schools often meet through most of June but don’t resume until late August or early September.  In North America, we have opted to alternate between June and July each year in order to accommodate as many as possible at some point between the ages of 15 and 25. In South America, these dates often overlap with winter break, but not always.  Subregional camps have more flexibility to happen on a more localized schedule.

Why do my donations go to EARS?

YOTA, in the Americas, is funded through Electronic Applications Radio Service (EARS), Inc., an Indiana and 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to education and service through wireless technologies.  Donations made to EARS go directly to fund YOTA camp expenses, and are eligible to be tax deductible.  Check with your tax professional. A receipt with the appropriate tax ID numbers is available upon request.

EARS is an already an established 501c3 organization that is volunteering to support YOTA projects in the Americas.  Their assistance makes your contributions tax deductible, and made it possible to start supporting our camps immediately.  EARS shares officers with the YOTA committee to ensure proper allocation of funds.

Can I sign up to get more information?

Sure!  We now have an email list on MailChimp.  Anytime we have big news to send out, we will use our MailChimp list in addition to our social media sites and website.  You can sign up for the email subscription here.

If you're involved in organizing youth activities, also sign up for our Groups.io online group.