HBCUs on the Air (HOTA)

Organizing site for HOTA

Mission/Vision

To connect all Historically Black Colleges and Universities, worldwide, with amateur radio for the advancement of education, radio science, emergency communication, culture, opportunity, and knowledge sharing.

This project helps colleges and universities:

Provide practical, hands -on STEM, STEMM, and STEAM experiences with the Electromagnetic Spectrum, electronics, and wireless technology

Provide career-building learning exposure to mentors with experience with cellular systems, secure communications, space communications, space weather and solar astronomy, radio astronomy, radio wave propagation, robotics command and control, AI design and coding, project management.

Provide opportunities for cross-generational knowledge sharing and mentoring online, over the air, and in person

Provide training, curricular support, and material resources for schools to set up their own self-sustaining stations--including licensing testing, training, and curriculum support

Provide the training and resources to help the schools develop resilient communication stations and networks for mutual aid and recovery from weather, technical, terrorist, power failure, Internet failure or other emergencies

Provide the training International knowledge sharing with communities in the African diaspora and beyond

Why OMIK is leading this project

OMIK had it's beginnings at Wilberforce College, now Central State University--an Historically Black University:

Llewellyn Scearce, W8TKE, of Detroit, Michigan, inspired the hams that he knew to take steps to form a regional association of black hams within the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. Lawrence D. Sallee, W8ZAW, promoted a meeting of eleven hams in the on-campus home of Henry Garcia, an instructor at Wilberforce College, now Central State University, near Dayton, Ohio. Thus the first meeting of this association was held.

Potential new radio amateurs and members
Provides opportunities for cross-generational knowledge sharing and mentoring--including learning about what interests students
International Emergency communications during weather, technical, or other emergencies
Connection with alumni, students, and friends of HBCUs
Opportunities to be of service to HBCUs

How will we do this?

Regular Tuesday night nets open to those licensed on Echolink.org (and those not yet licensed via Zoom--coming soon)
Demonstrations on campus scheduled with students, faculty, and advisors: Mesh communications, Satellite communications, basic electronics, RF communications theory.
Annual QSO party with alumni and friends of HBCUs and share their experiences and love for the HBCU community. (suggested QSO exchange: Callsign, University, years attended, D9 affiliation (optional), Department/School.)

When

Regular nets for licensed amateurs on *OMIK* Echolink.org conference at Tuesdays at 8pm eastern/Wednesdays at 01:00 UTC
Annual QSO party: the Saturday closest to March 14, 1902 birthday of William B. Gould, (1NP / W1NP / K2MP) the first African American licensed Radio Amateur in the world and PI Day - International Day of Mathematics. There's extra credit (points) for operating on an HBCU campus.

Project To do list

HOTA To-do list

Ham Radio Presence on HBCUs

Untitled spreadsheet

Next steps

Understand the needs and wants of HBCUs and how we can best meet them. What's in it for them?
Determine how to best promote this activity to students, schools, advisors, and faculty at HBCUs. (Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, NAFEO, NSBE, etc. )
Write introductory letters from OMIK leadership to HBCUs.

Resources and Ideas

Responses to survey

Click here to complete the survey

HBCUs on the Air (HOTA) interest form (Responses)

OMIK Amateur Radio Association

DX Code of Conduct

Amateur Radio Inclusivity Pledge

Yard Net NC script.docx