Report on youngster situation in DL
Current situation in the DARC:
Young members (aged 10 to 26): 1214 members, thereof 489 licensed Youngsters (aged 14 to 26): 1020 members, thereof 481 licensed Thereof we have in total 110 new young members entered this year.
First steps:
Focus on the huge amount of youngsters we already have. Analyzation of the current situation in a more detailed view: Who are they? Why did they enter the DARC? What motivated them/what fascinated them? How experienced with ham radio are they already? What to they expect? How lonely do they feel?
We asked for member statistics of our national amateur radio association (DARC).
Some sub regional clubs do a good job at recruiting youngsters.
Further steps:
Gathering of young active members to get to know one and another and create a network of young organizers for young people mainly using social media and gatherings.
Final steps:
Finding new youngsters and integrate them to the existing youth. How can you find new youngsters? What kind of advertisement works well? We will use the analysis of the statistics of your member data as well as the experience shared from the train-the trainer sessions held at the YOTA South Africa event.
Aim: Giving a young face to the german ham radio youth and show that indeed “Yes, there is youth in ham radio!”
Obstacles: How can you reach (the existing) youngsters successfully? Arising expenses?
Ideas:
Youth camp, youth network (-> youth group on social media), contact person for all youngster, promote YOTA/international youth activities, advertise ham radio as youth (newspaper, fairs/street festivals, internet/social media, TV/radio)
How?
- staying in touch with PR teams and involve more youngsters -> shows that ham radiois young (and not just a grandpa hobby)
→ we already contacted with a DARC PR team to assist them in matters of youth recruitment - Organizing a first DL youth camp: either a DL intern one to get to know German youngsters better or apply for a sub regional camp to use the effect of international character
→ we already established connections with members of DARC department for education/youth and training - Creating a really committed (!) DL youth organization group (on social media)
→ we plan to do it after a camp and being based on people who know each other face to face. (Already existing social media groups of random people trying to initiate new recruitment failed due to poor characteristics of random social media contacts)
Editors: Claudia DC2CL and Simon DL3SPS
