ARRL is inspiring the next generation of radio amateur with a full day fun, learning, community building, and on the air activity.

Registration is now open for the ARRL Youth Rally at Dayton Hamvention®. This amazing event is set to be a great day full of hands-on radio activities for people aged 11 to 21.

Join fellow young people who are interested in ham radio, led by volunteers from the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program, as they make a fun day out of getting to know radio – and each other. There will be an on-the-air sprint, contacts with a parachute mobile station, a kit built in the youth lounge, and a fox hunt!

While Hamvention offers free tickets for youth aged 12 through high school, advance registration for the Youth Rally is recommended. The Youth Rally registration fee is $20 and includes a tee shirt (to wear on Saturday), badge, lanyard, and reusable tote bag.

The event is led by ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, a former teacher. Young people are empowered to take leading roles in the hobby by participating in the ARRL Youth Rally. In 2024, then-sixth-grader Cameron Frey, KD9VGV, talked about his success as a Parks on the Air® operator. “I’ve done more than 100 activations, and more than 40 different parks. I’ve also hunted more than 700 different parks,” he said.

The ARRL Youth Rally is always a day full of smiles, fun, and empowerment — make sure your young ham joins us in Dayton!