YOTA is a group of young radio amateurs from IARU Region 1. Most of us are under the age of 26. Each year we get together in different Region 1 countries to spend some quality time. Not only having fun and playing games, we come up with new ideas, new projects, plans for the future and more. During the other months of the year we gather on the bands and have some fun together, take part in contests, organise subregional events, and exchange ideas.

The goal of YOTA is to welcome new and young amateur radio operators to our beautiful hobby. We live in a world where communication is being digitalized in a way that we almost can’t keep up with. In times like this it’s important to convince people about the importance of our hobby. Together with other youngsters all around the world, we can make the difference and give our hobby the future it deserves!

In August this year 80 youngsters from 23 teams in IARU R1 met in the central region of Gauteng in South Africa for the 8th edition of the Youngsters On The Air summer camp. It was a wonderful week full of diverse activities concentrated both on practical and theoretical knowledge, but also many fun activities. We explored different cultures and shared the hobby that always brings us closer together. This year we also dedicated a lot of time to a new IARU project called “Train-The-Trainer” which teaches youngsters to get more young people interested in amateur radio. If you’re interested in the future of amateur radio you can catch up with the latest news here!