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** December is Youth On The Air (YOTA) Month! ------------------------------------------------------------ https://www.rac.ca/youth-on-the-air-month-update/

Youth-operated stations around the world are part of a special event celeb rating Youth in Amateur Radio (aka YOTA or Youth on the Air) during the mo
nth of December.

YOTA Month (https://events.ham-yota.com/) began in International Amateur
Radio Union (IARU) Region 1, and the concept has now taken root in the
Americas.

Amateur Radio operators age 25 and younger will be on the air as special e
vent stations around the world throughout December in celebration of Youth
in Amateur Radio. YOTA Month stations will be on all bands and modes at v arious times.

QSL and award information is at http://events.ham-yota.com (http://events. ham-yota.com/) .

The idea behind this is to show the Amateur Radio hobby to youth and to en courage youth to be active on the radio waves.

Normally, YOTA stations are active throughout the year from YOTA summer
and sub-regional camps. This year, however, due to the continuing glo
bal pandemic, most scheduled camps and other in-person events had to be
cancelled once again. As a result, there were only a few opportunities
to hear YOTA stations on the bands. Hence, YOTA leaders around the worl
d want to show that youth still want and can be active on the bands during
this difficult time.


** Special Event Call Signs: ------------------------------------------------------------

In Canada this year, we have secured two YOTA special event call signs
, which have been obtained by Harrie Jones, VE3HYS, in Ottawa, Ont
ario on behalf of Amateurs who will be operating these stations as follows
: VE3YOTA and VA7YOTA

Maria – VE3YOTA: http://events.ham-yota.com/participants/ve3yota

Andrew – VA7YOTA: http://events.ham-yota.com/participants/va7yota

Every Amateur Radio operator can support Youth worldwide! By making a QSO
with them, they can improve their skills on air and learn more about ge ography and Amateur Radio abbreviations, among others.

Youth will be happy to get some attention and exchange information. Licens
ed and unlicensed youth will be making QSOs, be aware this could be thei
r first radio contact ever and give them a chance to experience a possible
new hobby.

In the United States this year the call signs are: K8Y, K8O, K8T, a
nd K8A.

Three new countries will be participating for the first time! Argentina wi
ll be active as LR1YOTA, Cuba as CO0YOTA, and Peru as OA0YOTA. We may
also have other countries that will be added soon.

Amateur Radio operators should be encouraged to listen for and contact the
se stations as well as all call signs ending in the letters “YOTA
” across the globe.

Twenty-eight operators in the Americas participated last year, and this
year we expect to see an increased level of youth activity from South Ame
rica and Canada.

Last year, young Amateurs worldwide surpassed their goal of 100,000 QS
Os in the month of December with a final tally of 137,000. 14,700 of t
hose QSOs were made by stations in the Americas.


** Award Program
------------------------------------------------------------

An award program is once again available this year. Work as many YOTA stat
ions on as many bands and modes as possible and be eligible for your Bronz
e, Silver, Gold and Platinum award for free.

This program promotes the radio activity on the air waves and shows that t
here is and will be activity in the future.

Overlapping with YOTA month is Round 3 of the YOTA Contest, which is on
December 30, 2021 from 1200 to 2359 UTC.

More information about YOTA Month specifically in the Americas can be foun
d at: http://YouthOnTheAir.org (http://youthontheair.org/)

The Youth on the Air website is sponsored by ICOM America.

More information about YOTA Month globally can be found at:

http://events.ham-yota.com (http://events.ham-yota.com/)

Alan Griffin
RAC MarCom Director
TCA Editor –
marcom@rac.ca (mailto:marcom@rac.ca)

Copyright © 2021 Radio Amateurs of Canada,
All rights reserved.

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