The California Historical Radio Society is more than just a museum. Located at 2152 Central Avenue, the society hosts swap meets and electronics sales, has booths at the Alameda Antiques Fair with bluetooth demonstrations, presents guest speakers, and teaches radio repair classes. They even offer services to digitize those old cassette tapes you may have stashed in the back of a drawer. This summer, they are branching out with even more new activities, including exciting summer camps for sixth through 10th graders.
The Broadcasting & Media Summer Camp kicks off the summer and runs June 16-20. Participants will learn broadcasting skills from industry professionals and learn to work with vintage and modern recording equipment. Students will write and record their own 20th-century-style radio dramas as well as modern radio segments. They will explore the world of podcasts, learning not only how to create and record, but also how to market themselves. The culminating project will be a full morning radio show complete with music and segments. The camp is a perfect fit for aspiring podcasters, producers, and storytellers.
The Radio Society’s second camp this summer, Electronics and Wireless Communications, runs July 28-August 1. This camp is designed for budding engineers, tech enthusiasts, and students with curious minds who like to tinker and figure out how things work. These students will begin by learning about basic electronic components and circuits. From there they will expand into radio fundamentals learning the history and science behind radio technology as they build and tune their own radio receivers. Campers will then explore the world of wireless communications and learn the different types of wireless technologies. The campers will then use all their newly acquired knowledge to collaborate with peers to design and build a wireless communications project that is both unique and functional.
Space is limited in both camps in order to ensure personalized attention and a quality experience for all campers. Interested families may learn more and register online for the camps. Fee for the Broadcasting & Media camp is $600; the Electronica and Wireless Communication camp fee is $650. Donations for scholarships are welcome, so that these summer camps will be accessible to any student interested in attending.
For more information, call the California Historical Radio Society at 510-522-1974 or email [email protected].
Radio Day by the Bay
In addition to the camps, CHRS is hosting a summer event that will appeal to people of all ages—Radio Day by the Bay will be held on Saturday, July 19. This annual event will be bigger and better than ever before. Thanks to a grant from the City of Alameda, there are no fees to attend the event this year.
On Air entertainment will feature live DJ sets, Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, a live radio play, and a live auction of premium vintage treasures. Visitors can also tour the museum, shop in the surplus electronic sale, watch the ham station in action, and tour the various radio stations and vendor booths as well as grab a bite to eat from local food trucks. There is still time for vendors to reserve a booth. The booth fee is $15 for nonprofits and $40 for for-profit businesses.
Volunteer
The California Historical Radio Society provides multiple opportunities for volunteers to work on exciting projects, assist in the museum, join events, and be part of a community of radio enthusiasts. With the addition of the new summer camps, there are even more ways to support the society. Interested parties can fill out the volunteer form online.
There are so many cool things to do in Alameda, and a visit to the California Historical Radio Society is one of the coolest.
Kelly Rogers Flynt contributes reviews of theatrical productions and feature articles to the Alameda Post. Reach her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelly-Rogers-Flynt.
