Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesEducation Technology

Amateur Radio, Shaping Today’s Minds: From the Classroom to Space

In this episode of Icom's Radios in Action podcast, host Ray Novak speaks with ARRL Education and Learning Manager Steven Goodgame about how amateur radio is being integrated into STEM education. The conversation covers wireless technology curricula, amateur radio licensing for space communications, and high-altitude ballooning experiments. Released on National STEM Day 2023, the episode highlights how hands-on radio skills can lead students toward higher-paying technology careers.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

Promoted content from Icom on MarketScale.

By Ray Novak · Amateur RadioArrlIcomNational Stem Day
Share

Key takeaways

01

The ARRL is actively working to embed amateur radio into K-12 STEM programs, with a growing number of schools adopting wireless technology curricula.

02

Amateur radio licenses unlock opportunities for students to participate in space communications and high-altitude ballooning experiments.

03

Hands-on radio communication experience cultivates technological curiosity and positions students for higher-paying entry-level STEM careers.

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Education Technology?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Education Technology coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

In honor of National STEM Day on November 8, 2023, Icom America sheds light on amateur radio's role in shaping today's minds.

The emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has never been more crucial. With the rapid advancements in technology and the increasing demand for innovative minds in the workforce, STEM education plays a pivotal role in molding the future. Research indicates students engaged in STEM are more likely to find higher-paying entry-level positions out of college than those in other fields.

But how does amateur radio fit into the STEM narrative? And why is it becoming an essential tool for educators?

Welcome to Radios in Action, an Icom Podcast. In this episode, host Ray Novak sits down with Steven Goodgame, Education and Learning Manager for the ARRL (American Radio Relay League), to discuss the intersection of amateur radio and STEM education and its role in shaping today's minds.

Novak and Goodgame's conversation includes the following:

  • The ARRL's push to integrate amateur radio into STEM programs, emphasizing wireless technology
  • The significance of amateur radio licenses in facilitating space communications and high-altitude ballooning experiments
  • The role of amateur radio in fostering innovation and technological curiosity among students

With over 21 years of teaching experience, Steven Goodgame has been instrumental in the ARRL's efforts to promote STEM education through amateur radio. Since joining the ARRL just over two years ago, he has witnessed a significant increase in schools incorporating amateur radio into their STEM programs. Goodgame's passion lies in inspiring teachers, who inspire students, emphasizing the hands-on, practical experience that STEM offers.

Integrating amateur radio into STEM education equips students with valuable skills and ignites their passion for innovation and discovery.

As we celebrate National STEM Day, we must recognize the educators and organizations pushing boundaries and inspiring the next generation of thinkers and doers.

Listen to Radios in Action on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Icom

Part of this channel

Icom

Professional radio communication for land, sea, air, and public safety.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Education Technology starts with a company putting its implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Procurement teams read long before they ever call, and your implementers get to answer their questions first.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

Ray Novak
Ray NovakSenior Sales Manager

I would say I have the perfect job...meeting wonder people, promoting a great hobby to anyone and everyone who will listen. Learning new technology and sharing my Amateur Radio experiences with all my friends and family. I enjoy contesting, DXpeditions, Emergency Communication solutions, really anything to do with HF and D-STAR. Be kind to the youth of today, they write your CCR's of tomorrow!

Follow Education Technology Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Education Technology: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Education Technology buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Education Technology expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners into the articles, video, and social content Education Technology buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Education Technology Insights

Four ways the University of Michigan is transforming higher education

Four ways the University of Michigan is transforming higher education

The University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) in Detroit is establishing a new higher education model that combines interdisciplinary graduate programs, workforce development through gateway certificates, K-12 partnerships, and collaborative engagement with regional institutions and local businesses. The center aims to serve both Detroit residents and international students while addressing local workforce gaps in sectors like robotics, urban technology, and applied AI.

  • 01The University of Michigan is using its Center for Innovation in Detroit to offer interdisciplinary degrees, workforce certificates and K-12 programming aimed at sectors like robotics and AI.
  • 02The university's approach aims to better equip students for future employment challenges.
  • 03This transformation in education focuses on workforce preparation, inclusive access for Detroiters and interdisciplinary learning that tackles real-world challenges.

Sep 10, 2026

The Innovator at the Center of UMCI - Episode 2

The Innovator at the Center of UMCI - Episode 2

Scott Shireman, inaugural executive director of the University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI), transitioned from the Bay Area to lead efforts positioning Detroit as a magnet for talent. His strategy centers on creating a "talent corridor" that connects the university with local tech hubs and institutions to drive both Detroit's economic revival and the University of Michigan's global standing.

  • 01Scott Shireman spent a sabbatical at Coursera after Berkeley before joining UMCI, describing the startup experience as equivalent to earning a second MBA.
  • 02UMCI's strategy involves establishing connections between the University of Michigan, local tech hubs like Tech Town and New Lab, and community leaders to create a coordinated talent corridor.
  • 03Shireman aims to retain local Detroit talent while attracting global innovators by building an ecosystem that offers substantial job opportunities and improves quality of life.

Sep 10, 2026

AI detectors are turning into audit tools, not enforcement, in higher ed

AI detectors are turning into audit tools, not enforcement, in higher ed

AI detection tools can be used to review student writing, but their results are not definitive. In 2026, colleges are putting more emphasis on AI literacy, assessment redesign and clear guidance for acceptable AI use than on detection alone.

  • 0186% student AI use (Digital Education Council survey, cited by Community College Daily) makes “ban and catch” workflows expensive at scale. Training, course design, and tool governance become the controllable levers.
  • 02OECD’s 2026 Outlook warns that better-looking work with GenAI can disappear or reverse on exams without it, a signal that assessment design is now a learning-outcomes control, not a pedagogy preference.

Sep 7, 2026

Explore More Education Technology Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Education Technology.

Browse Education Technology Hub

About the Experts

Ray Novak
Ray Novak

Host, Radios in Action Podcast at Icom America

Ray Novak is a host of the Radios in Action podcast produced by Icom America. He covers topics related to amateur radio, communications technology, and STEM education. Novak holds the amateur radio callsign N9JA.

SG
Steven Goodgame

Education and Learning Manager

ARRL (American Radio Relay League)

Steven Goodgame is the Education and Learning Manager at the ARRL, bringing over 21 years of classroom teaching experience to the role. Since joining the ARRL, he has focused on integrating amateur radio into K-12 STEM programs and inspiring educators to adopt hands-on radio communication curricula. His work has contributed to a notable increase in schools incorporating amateur radio into their STEM offerings.

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Education Technology and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512