09/11/2026
Educator Everton Henriques, KD2ZZT, shared his experience using amateur radio to
inspire students and bring engineering and technology to life in the classroom
during his keynote at the 2026 ARRL New England Division Convention, hosted by
Northeast HamXposition in Massachusetts on August 15. A video recording is
available on ARRL's YouTube channel[1].
Everton is an Engineering and Technology Teacher at Staten Island (NY) Technical
High School. He has also participated in the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless
Technology[2], a donor-funded professional development program he describes as
"amazing week-long immersions in electronics, wireless technology, remote
sensing, amateur radio, and curriculum development."
In his presentation, Henriques describes how a high-altitude balloon project led
to amateur radio, a student radio club, and an expanding program incorporating
antenna building, transmitter hunting, robotics, solar power, mesh networking,
HF communications, and more. His students have earned amateur radio licenses and
applied their skills to robotics competitions, underwater ROVs (remotely
operated vehicles), emergency communications, and a solar car that went on to
earn awards in competition.
"We weren't building solar cars, we weren't building antennas, and we weren't
winning cheap trophies. We were building students. We were building engineers,"
said Henriques. The presentation offers a compelling example of how ARRL and
educators are working together to inspire youth and develop the next generation
of radio amateurs.
Donate Now to Support the ARRL Teachers Institute[3]
About ARRL¿
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio¿ was founded in 1914 as The
American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of radio
amateurs. ARRL's mission is to promote and protect the art, science, and
enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio
amateurs. ARRL supports members with opportunities to discover radio, to develop
new skills, and to serve their local communities. ARRL's youth initiatives
include programs to inspire students and advance STEM education through amateur
radio, and to encourage pathways to higher education and careers in wireless
communications and related technical fields. ARRL is also the Secretariat of the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). For more information about ARRL and
amateur radio, visit www.arrl.org[4].
About the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology
The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology[5] is a donor-funded
professional development program designed to help classroom teachers elevate
their STEM programs through the use of wireless technology. As a part of the
ARRL Education & Technology Program, several sessions are conducted each year,
and the program continues to grow. Teachers Institute educators participate in
lectures, hands-on activities, and demonstrations so they can inspire their
students through the use of tools and strategies to introduce basic electronics,
radio science, antennas and radio frequency propagation, satellite
communications, amateur radio, radio direction finding, weather science,
microcontrollers, and remote sensors to their students. Teachers are provided
with the equipment needed to take wireless technology to their classrooms.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc61BWFzC2M
[2] https://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology?utm_source=In
formz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL&_zs=SQvQm&_zl=b9bu3
[3] https://home.arrl.org/action/Donate
[4] http://www.arrl.org/
[5] https://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology
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