Establishing Radio Contact

Topeka, Kan. –Capitol City High is what is known as a “special purpose” school: the students there cannot function in a traditional school environment. They have behavior disorders or are emotionally disturbed. Many are on medication. Some students are labeled as potentially dangerous, or have committed crimes. Many students have poor social skills. And yet, these are students who have been in radio contact with people in sixty countries around the world thanks to Richard Wilds and his short-wave radio approach to international learning and global competencies.

“The beauty of this is that, over the years, in every instance the students are exposed to a complete spectrum of intellectual reach: art, music, history, science, the full gambit of knowledge,” says Wilds.

Wilds, who taught math and science but was recently promoted to Student Advisor, says that the students really benefit from interaction with radio stations around the world. They learn in ways that go beyond the traditional textbook.

“Seeing the similarities and differences up close and personal as opposed to studying it second-hand in a book however well written and presented, really has an impact on the students,” says Wilds.

Among the countries they’ve communicated with are Turkey, Israel, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Nigeria, China, South Africa, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand , South Korea and, astonishingly, North Korea which gave the students a stark lesson in reality manipulation (otherwise known as propaganda).

“North Korea was one of the most interesting countries to interact with,” says Wilds. “They sent us a book on their former leader which said that North Korea was the most powerful country on the face of the earth.”

In addition to broadcasting on the radio, Wilds’ students are required to open a dialogue by writing letters to the people running the radio stations. In all cases, those people responded by sending letters back and sometimes even gifts which the students are allowed to keep. Some of these gifts are things just not available at a strip mall. For example, one student received a map of Iran written in Farsi which remained pinned to his bedroom wall long after he graduated.

“When they come into the program, their world view is encompassed by Topeka,” says Wilds. “They aren’t sure what Kansas is. They have no idea of the geopolitical nature of the world. Exposing them to these ideas changed them. Sure, some of them started it out of simple self- interest but it didn’t end that way.”

And that’s the unexpected fringe benefit of Wilds’ program – students who were in it just for the spoils end up sticking around for the sheer thrill of expanding their known universe and passing this thrill on to the next “generation” of student international radio broadcasters. In other words, the veterans become mentors to the newcomers, imparting the importance of knowing what the world is like, advising them in the art of letter writing and counseling them on international interaction protocol.

“It’s very gratifying to see them get it and hear them pass the knowledge on to others to help them understand,” says Wilds. “I think it makes them better people.”

If you’d like to know more about how to set up a short wave radio station with your students, Richard Wilds can be contacted at: Capital City School 500 SW Tuffy Kellogg Drive Topeka, Kansas 66606 USA rwilds@topeka.k12.ks.us (785)295-3600