[W8MWA] ARRL Board Gives the Go-Ahead to Lifelong Learning Initiative

[Spence Graham]

02/07/2019

ARRL is undertaking a new initiative to provide online educational
opportunities to a broad range of radio amateurs. The Lifelong Learning
Initiative will seek to provide a series of learning tracks that will serve
the needs of the various interest groups within the Amateur Radio community.

While designed for everyone with an interest in learning more about Amateur
Radio, the Lifelong Learning Initiative will initially focus on creating
online learning opportunities for new and newer hams, a segment of the
Amateur Radio community desperately searching for educational and
instructional and resources.

The ARRL Board of Directors set the Lifelong Learning Initiative in motion,
endorsing and funding the program and approving the hiring of advertising
agency Mintz + Hoke to work with ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris
Bickell, K1BIC, and other ARRL staffers in building this learning
environment. Mintz + Hoke will conduct the research necessary to identify
the different educational needs within the broader Amateur Radio community.

“Mintz + Hoke is a really strong partner in this project,” Bickell said,
adding that the firm has developed a really deep understanding of the
Amateur Radio community as part of the investigation phase of this endeavor.

Bickell noted that youth education will be a critical component of this
Learning Initiative, but he also believes that overall opportunities in
this area are huge, as many individuals are looking to expand their
knowledge of Amateur Radio.

He said that, where appropriate, the content of these learning tracks
within the initiative will build upon much of the knowledge base that
already exists within ARRL, such as the material in *QST* and *QEX* magazines,
as well as other ARRL publications and manuals. Some new content will be
created as well, to ensure that the information being provided stays fresh
and dynamic.

In addition to providing instruction, the Learning Initiative will offer
resources that allow individuals to delve further into a subject, rather
than just relying on ARRL content.

“We are building a new learning environment,” Bickell said. “It will take a
lot of work to put this all together, but we believe that this initiative
will firmly establish ARRL as an educational leader in Amateur Radio.” He
expects the online Lifelong Learning platform to launch in the fall of 2019.

In conjunction with its support of the Lifelong Learning Initiative, the
ARRL Board also endorsed CEO Howard Michel’s HQ reorganization plans, and
the purchase of a modern association management software system.

“These are big investments the Board is making in ARRL, and a strong
positive vote of confidence that we can deliver,” Michel said. “They are
giving us the tools to be successful.”

-- 
73,

Spence

*Spencer W. Graham, II*
*WT8WV*
*73 Crosby Road*
*Morgantown, WV 26508*

*2017-2019 VP of Monongalia Wireless Association http://www.w8mwa.org/
<http://www.w8mwa.org/> *
*ARRL Volunteer Examiner *
*W5YI Volunteer Examiner*
*Laurel ARC Volunteer Examiner*
*ARRL WV Section Affiliate Club Coordinator *

*Check Out My Ham Radio Blog Site...  http://kb8fir.wordpress.com
<http://kb8fir.wordpress.com>*

*(ex-KB8FIR and ex-KA8LJO)*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/w8mwa/attachments/20190210/9490a734/attachment.html>