Girl Scouts add new STEM badges in robotics, coding, and racecar design

Your point is obviously valid, but the "geritol net" is not what these young people are seeing anyway. Think rasperry pi, DMR, fractal antennas, and mesh. Young people in ham radio aren't hangin on the air with the old guys....

Christmas, who wants to just hang with old people anyway (and I AM an old person;-)

73
Chip W1YW

 

Younger folks (<30) hardly use voice communications at all. How often do you see them actually speaking on a telephone instead of texting or using social media?

 

Programming robots and designing race cars has everything to do with ham radio. (NOT)... Being a Girl Scout has absolutely NOTHING to do with being a ham either.

 

[QUOTE="Getting Scout girls into STEM subjects might lead them to getting ham licences later on, just like a lot of "old men" got interested in CW and got a badge through the scout organisation and later got their ham licences.
They were given a spark by the scouts when young which has given them enjoyment in Ham radio through out their life.

That's what this has to do with ham radio[/QUOTE]

You just described my early exposure. I'm an old man, first learned Morse code in the Boy Scouts at age 11. Got the "signaling" merit badge. Had to copy by light, sound, and by flag (semaphores). Imagine the level of howling if this was a licensing requirement today!

 

We do fair-at-best showcasing of who we are. There lies the problem.

Why do we go to flea markets...to collect Oldsmobile hood ornaments?

Nope. We are makers by nature, innovators by choice.

73
Chip W1YW

 

How is this related to amateur radio? They didn't add a radio badge. They do not mention radios once in the article.

 

Seriously. No.

 

You’ll see and realize it once you’ve been a Ham for a few more years and experience different facets of the hobby.

Keep at it. Great hobby that can last a life time.

 

This is great since I have a little Daisy Scout at the QTH . Sometimes she likes radio, sometimes she doesn't . This hopefully will be a stepping stone to recovering that dynamic we had in the 60's and 70's where we put a man on the moon and flew space shuttles.

 

This question keeps coming up so let's address it.

The Girl Scouts are engaged in STEM related activities and while Amateur Radio is not currently a "merit badge" type activity, this discussion is for the purpose to exactly address and discuss that issue.

Make no mistake, radio communication technologies are indeed a science and technology classification that's far from obsolete and it's something that's well integrated into many important aspects of our modern society and everyday lives.

The question is, since Amateur Radio represents everything that is radio, and since they are already creating new merit badges in many different areas of science and technology, why not use this as the perfect opportunity to promote and integrate Amateur Radio into these existing programs?

That's the point why we are having this amateur radio related discussion, so let's hear your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

 

Just wait until next year (2019), and the girls can start working on their Radio Merit Badge.

If they join the BSA.

 

I offered to help the local girl Scout council with the STEM program and was summarily rejected. They said they would never tell a man where the girls were meeting or have one involved. funny thing though ... the local council chair is male.