Contact: Lauren Gaydos, (703) 351-2015
Arlington, Va., (November 22, 2021)—The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, today announced the recipients of 20 grants totaling over $89,000 to support projects in communities served by NTCA members.
The FRS grants, coupled with support from NTCA members, will broaden health care options, improve educational technology, expand emergency services, and more.
“FRS is proud to support these projects throughout the country to promote health, safety, education and growth in rural communities,” said FRS Executive Director Pam Becker. “The pandemic has shown us how important access to these vital services is, and these organizations have done tremendous work in their communities. Thank you to the NTCA members who partnered with FRS to fund these projects. I also want to thank former FRS Board Chair Carri Bennet for her generosity and vision to create the Carri Bennet Rural Economic Development Grant Fund to support rural economic development as part of the FRS Community Grant Program.”
Cowley College, in Wellington, Kansas, was sponsored for a grant by NTCA member KanOkla Networks (Caldwell, Kan.) and will use the funding for a middle school robotics program.
“Connecting the future of work with the vastness of rural possibilities and the creative minds of our local youth is a big door of opportunity for quality of life out here in the middle of everywhere,” said Jill Kuehny, KanOkla’s chief executive officer. “Thank you to FRS for helping our middle schoolers become innovative problem-solvers while exponentially expanding their future opportunities to live and work anywhere they choose.”
“This grant allows middle schools in the area to incorporate STEM into their programs. The FRS grant and partnership between KanOkla Networks, Cowley College, and Sumner-Cowley Electric Coop., provides the middle schoolers the opportunity to participate in the annual robotic challenge,” said Jan Grace, campus operations officer at Cowley College. “The students learn creativity, team skills, coding, programing, critical thinking, and design. This program provides students with current and future educational and career opportunities.”
For a complete list of awardees, click here or see below:
Amador Fire Safe Council (Pine Grove, CA)
Awarded $5,000 to improve the Fire Safe Council’s in-person and virtual outreach capabilities to keep the community informed about current projects and encourage community members to do their part for fire preparedness. Supported by Volcano Telephone Company.
American Legion Post 18 (Celina, TN)
Awarded $3,765 to purchase technology to assist veterans and their families while applying for federal and state veteran benefit programs. Supported by Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative Corporation.
Barnesville Fire Department (Barnesville, MN)
Awarded $1,795 to purchase a critical multi-tool for each member of the fire department to enhance firefighter safety and effectiveness. Supported by Red River Rural Telephone Assn.
City of Columbus - Fire Department (Columbus, KS)
Awarded $5,000 to purchase two Toughbook laptop units to increase operational efficiency and enhance safety for firefighters and the public. Supported by Columbus Telephone Co.
Country Living Learning Center (Hugo, CO)
Awarded $3,100 to update technology use throughout the center, add a STEM center in the preschool room, and supply teachers with classroom iPads to better educate preschool students and communicate with guardians. Supported by Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association.
Cowley College (Wellington, KS)
Awarded $5,000 to purchase products for the Robotics Challenge that are then shared with local middle schoolers and provide students the opportunity to learn to write computer programs, code, be creative, learn to work as a team, follow complex directions, be detail-oriented, make better decisions, and solve problems. Supported by KanOkla Networks.
East 52 Volunteer Fire Department (Celina, TN)
Awarded $4,823 to purchase six thermal imaging cameras, gear keepers, and a charging dock to replace out of date equipment. Supported by Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative Corporation.
Elk Horn Public Library (Elk Horn, IA)
Awarded $3,468 to upgrade the 10-year-old learning station and expand the learning station use to all school-aged library visitors. Supported by Marne & Elk Horn Telephone Co.
Fall Creek Falls State Park (Spencer, TN)
Awarded $5,000 to equip three park ranger patrol vehicles with dual antennae in-car radar systems. Supported by Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative.
Friends of the Wamego Public Library (Wamego, KS)
Awarded $5,000 to purchase two Early Literacy All-In-One tablet stations with STREAM programming for the children’s library. Supported by Wamego Telephone Company, Inc.
Lucas Arts & Humanities Council, Inc. aka Grassroots Art Center (Lucas, KS)
Awarded $4,517 to upgrade computers, network infrastructure and Wi-Fi connectivity within three turn-of-the-century, 1890 buildings of native post rock limestone stone. Supported by Wilson Communications.
Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce (Waitsfield, VT)
Awarded $3,500 to purchase flags and banners to line Route 100 with American flags as well as a “Welcome to the Mad River Valley” flag to foster community involvement, encourage tourism, and show that the Valley is a special place to live, work and visit. Supported by Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom.
Malmo Planning and Zoning Commission (Malmo, NE)
Awarded $5,000 to add a Double Bay Single Post Swing and an Expression Swing to engage children and families to play outdoors without having to be concerned with outdated equipment. Supported by Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company.
North Liberty Library (North Liberty, IA)
Awarded $5,000 to purchase computer equipment and Wi-Fi hot spots to train the older adult/50+ community in North Liberty to become more proficient in using technology to enhance connections with friends, family, and care providers, and to access community resources. Supported by South Slope Cooperative Communications.
Osmond Elementary (Afton, WY)
Awarded $5,000 to create an educational experience for students to take coding from the computer into the physical world via robots and be able to interact with and manipulate the robots with code. Supported by Silver Star.
Santa Anna ISD (SAISD) (Santa Anna, TX)
Awarded $5,000 to host four literacy events for all pre-K-12th grade students who will choose up to 12 books for their personal “home libraries” over the course of the school year. Supported by Coleman County Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce (Smithville, TN)
Awarded $5,000 to purchase technology for meeting rooms and training areas in the Dekalb County Agriculture Building so that local organizations can hold meetings, training, and instructional classes to help meet the needs of the community. Supported by DTC Communications.
Southeast Region Career & Technology Center / Richland 44 Agricultural Education (Colfax, ND)
Awarded $4,960 to purchase Vernier lab equipment, including data collection interfaces, probes, and environmental science research equipment to teach and demonstrate Ag Science careers and skills. Supported by Red River Rural Telephone Assn.
Thrive Allen County (Iola, KS)
Awarded $4,933 to purchase shared technology for all the libraries in Allen County to improve the accessibility, impact, and quality of community programming and engagement activities. Supported by La Harpe Telephone Co.
Walterboro Wildlife Center - City of Walterboro Tourism Department (Walterboro, SC)
Awarded $5,000 to purchase, network, and program two digital touchscreen kiosks to launch an interactive education platform in the Walterboro Wildlife Center to provide a richer educational experience for youth. Supported by Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative.
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The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and its members, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in rural America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. Through scholarships, grants, and a variety of educational programs, FRS focuses on educating rural youth, encouraging community development and introducing policymakers to challenges unique to rural communities. Visit us at www.frs.org.
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. In an era of transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks 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, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.