Distance Learning and Telemedicine Investments will Benefit Many Rural Communities and Residents
GAINESVILLE, Oct. 7, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue along with Rural Development State Director Phil Leary today announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing over $1.7 million in grants to help rural residents in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands gain access to health care and educational opportunities. Nationwide, these investments will benefit more than 12 million rural residents.
“Telemedicine and distance learning are becoming more and more important to our rural communities and residents,” said Phil Leary, State Director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “USDA has been committed to expanding access to broadband to our rural residents, and in conjunction with that, these distance learning and telemedicine grants will provide funding to make sure our rural communities have access to quality healthcare and educational opportunities of which they may not otherwise have access. Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Background:
USDA is funding 116 projects through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. The program helps health care and education institutions buy the equipment and software necessary to deploy distance-learning and telemedicine services to rural residents.
Perdue announced investments today in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Here are examples of these investments in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands:
- In Florida, funds will be used to help the School District of Putnam County launch its Better Educational Access for Middle Schools (BEAM) distance learning project. The project will serve rural communities by creating distance learning end-user/hubs in eight middle school classrooms. The classrooms are set up with equipment to allow Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) instruction for students. The equipment will also allow professional development for teachers to be delivered virtually in remote rural areas that currently do not have access to quality STEM instruction.
- In the Virgin Islands, funds will be used to expand access to vital resources for end user schools that were hard hit and have not yet fully recovered from recent hurricanes. This project will provide course work and services accessible through distance learning technology. It will equip elementary and primary schools to ensure all students will have access to the same quality instruction for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) course work. It will also serve to increase opportunity and professional development for teachers and faculty. Through this project, students will be able to share the limited number of STEM qualified teachers, ensuring they are better prepared for academic success.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office. 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. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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