U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and Oklahoma State Director Kenneth Corn announced today a grant of $899,427, which was awarded on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration to Southwestern Oklahoma State University to provide improved educational opportunities to more than 44,000 students in western Oklahoma.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University will utilize the grand funding to provide virtual education in scientific, technical, engineering and mathematics courses. Counties supported in this expansion of education access include Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Custer, Dewey and Washita in western Oklahoma. Funding is through USDA Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. The program helps rural education and health care entities remotely reach students, patients and outside expertise. The ability to use virtual education and telehealth resources is critical to reach remote and rural towns and tribal communities in Oklahoma for these areas to grow and prosper.
“President Biden is a firm believer that the best way to grow our economy for the future is to invest in the positive educational outcomes of our school children,” Corn said. “This grant funding provided by the Biden-Harris Administration can be a game changer for educational opportunities by providing rural schools with the tools they need to be just as competitive as high performing.”
This competitive program helps rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other - and the world - overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that promote equality and economic opportunity in rural America.
“The world economy is moving at breakneck speeds, and the President believes that if we don’t invest in our children’s future, we risk other nations outcompeting us in the global economy,” Corn said. “Rural education in particular has been left behind, but the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed since day one to reverse that trend and improve educational outcomes regardless of your economic background or zip code you live in.”
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans 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, tribal and high-poverty areas. To learn more, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/ok.