DES MOINES, Iowa, Mar. 1, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Iowa Acting State Director Darin Leach today announced that the agency is investing $346,065 to help rural Iowans gain access to distance learning opportunities.
“These projects will allow two Iowa colleges to establish or expand distance learning opportunities that will ultimately improve rural resident access to much-needed, close-to-home, quality education,” said Acting State Director Leach. “These investments are prime examples of how Rural Development’s mission to improve the quality of life for rural Americans is making a difference in the lives of rural Iowans every day.”
USDA is funding projects through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. The program helps rural education and health care entities remotely reach students, patients and outside expertise. The capabilities that this program helps to provide make world-class education and health care opportunities accessible in rural communities. The ability to use telehealth resources is critical, especially now during a global pandemic.
In Iowa:
- Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) is receiving a $97,600 grant to purchase portable videoconferencing equipment for five IHCC satellite locations and 13 public high schools in 10 rural southeast Iowa counties. The equipment will allow the college to offer interactive distance learning to high school students, college students, professionals, small business owners, entrepreneurs and community members. These services may include professional development and licensure courses, vocational courses, adult basic education, English language, small business classes and technical assistance. This project will allow rural residents to access these services from home and prevent unnecessary travel to a campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Southeastern Community College (SCC) is receiving $248,400 to establish distance learning programs for SCC students in Lee, Henry, Des Moines and Clark Counties. Funding will provide access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes, college readiness and professional development courses, workforce development, certification programs and continuous education courses. It will also provide health and substance abuse prevention education. This project will allow rural residents to access these services from home and prevent unnecessary travel to a campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today’s announcement came as part of a larger statement in which Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities.
In January, President Biden requested all parts of the federal government to contribute resources to contain the coronavirus pandemic. USDA is responding to the President’s call to action. To date, more than 350 USDA personnel have deployed to assist with standing up vaccination sites, for example. In addition to personnel, USDA is offering its facilities, cold chain infrastructure, public health experts, disaster response specialists, and footprint in rural and Tribal communities across the country. USDA’s commitment to control the pandemic extends to our own staff and facilities, with masking and physical distancing requirements across USDA, a commitment to provide PPE to our front-line workers, and working with states to prioritize vaccinations for our workforce. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.
Contact USDA Rural Development
Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development can accessed by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/ia, by calling (515) 284-4663, and following us on Twitter with handle @RD_Iowa.
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million residents living in rural Iowa. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with local offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton, Waverly Counties.
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