Pinecrest Students Find Success at Amateur Radio Field Day

Pinecrest Academy, a private PreK3-12 Catholic School in north Atlanta is in countdown mode for the schoolwide ARISS Astronaut Contact event, scheduled for mid-fall on the school's campus.

Since last school year, students have been preparing for this STEM educational opportunity in various ways.

On June 28, 2025, Pinecrest high school students, Sam Ansley and Henry Schafer, joined the North Fulton Amateur Radio League at the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day. Once a year, amateur radio operators set up radio stations in the field and try to contact other radio operators across the nation. The purpose of this activity is to simulate emergency communications.

Ansley and Schafer were able to successfully make several contacts via amateur radio on Field Day. Ansley serves as President of Pinecrest’s Amateur Radio Club, and Schafer serves as Vice President.

The North Fulton Radio League is serving as technical mentor for the ARISS contact activity at the school.