For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (December 1, 2016)—The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) announced today that it awarded more than $25,000 in grants to eight projects in rural communities embodying the foundation’s mission to enhance the quality and sustainability of life in America by advancing an understanding of rural issues.
The grants will enable Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) projects, education, and community and economic development opportunities in rural communities of Montana, Oregon, Kansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, California and Georgia. The winning projects are endorsed by community-based telecommunications companies that are members of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.
“The Foundation for Rural Service is proud to present our grants to these outstanding projects. Each awardee has demonstrated both the need for their program and the measurable impact their program will have on their community,” said Jessica Golden, executive director of FRS. “We congratulate all of our applicants for the collaborative work they do to improve the well-being of rural America.”
The 2016 grant winners are:
Chouteau County Library Foundation (Fort Benton, Mont.)
Awarded $2,500 for public use computers to help enable community development
Endorsed by Triangle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Havre, Mont.)
Gervais High School (Gervais, Ore.)
Awarded $5,000 for Chromebooks that will enable technology training and business skill development in an economically disadvantaged school system with primarily English Language Learners
Endorsed by Gervais Telephone Co. (Gervais, Ore.)
Horton Public Library (Horton, Kan.)
Awarded $2,500 for computers in a library that serve an extremely low-income area
Endorsed by Rainbow Telecommunications Association, Inc., (Everest, Kan.)
Putnam County Kids Count (Coatesville, Ind.)
Awarded $495 for registering students in a 4-H Lego Robotics Program
Endorsed by Endeavor Communications (Cloverdale, Ind.)
School District of Florence County (Florence, Wis.)
Awarded $5,000 for tech products to improve a “Fab Lab” that will help enable in-demand skill development for students and community members
Endorsed by Nsight Telservices (Green Bay, Wis.)
Sierra Oaks Senior & Community Center (Tollhouse, Calif.)
Awarded $2,500 for updating the computer lab in a designated free Wi-Fi hot spot, enabling access for senior citizens and local residents
Endorsed by Ponderosa Telephone (O’Neals, Calif.)
Stafford County Economic Development (St. John, Kan.)
Awarded $5,000 for tech enhancements to enable a Launch Pad Business Incubator
Endorsed by Golden Belt Telephone Association, Inc. (Rush Center, Kan.)
White County Public Library (Cleveland, Ga.)
Awarded $3,000 for a handicap-accessible computer work station
Endorsed by Ellijay Telephone Co. (Ellijay, Ga.)
These grants are made possible by the generous sponsorships of Bennet & Bennet, PLLC; Ericsson Inc; and Mapcom Systems. Additional funding from Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP, Palmetto Engineering & Consulting, LLC, and FRS helped to support the two STEM projects.
More information about the FRS Grant Program is available at www.frs.org.
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The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), in cooperation with NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and its members, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. FRS is committed to advancing opportunities for economic development in communities through innovations in technology and telecommunications. Visit us at www.frs.org.
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 900 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and it provides training and development; publications and industry events; and an array of employee benefit programs. In an era of exploding technology, deregulation and marketplace competition, NTCA’s members are leading the IP evolution for rural consumers, delivering technologies that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development and commerce, education, health care, government services, security and smart energy use. Visit us at www.ntca.org.