IOWA STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM RUS BORROWER AND IOWA COMMUNITY COOPERATIVE SPIRIT
State: Iowa
Grantee: HLV School District
RUS Borrower: Cooperative Telephone Company (IA 563)
Counties: Iowa, Poweshiek
Subject: Internet access

The HLV School District, located in the town of Victor, in east central Iowa, is preparing its students for the 21st century. HLV recognizes that part of their students’ preparation is understanding how to utilize and communicate via telecommunications technology. Lack of funding, however, made it impossible to provide advanced educational courses through such technology. Through a combined effort between RUS borrower and HLV School District, the community of Victor now has an on-ramp on to the Information Superhighway.

In 1994, the HLV School District was awarded an RUS Distance Learning grant of $230 thousand for the construction of two distance learning classrooms in Victor and one in the neighboring school district in Brooklyn. A network of 40 computers in classrooms are connected to the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) and Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cooperative Telephone Company provided the fiber optic transmission and Internet connection to the ICN and KCC at no cost to the school district.

One of the objectives of this program was to consider it a “community system.” The distance learning classrooms were operational in the Fall of 1995. HLV and Brooklyn school districts now offer advanced foreign language courses in French and German, classes originating from Iowa’s three state universities, and Internet training and college level classes originating from KCC. College classes with degree opportunities are offered to adults in the area and local businesses utilize the system for video conferencing and training.

RUS GRANT PROVIDES IOWA RESIDENTS FIRST TIME ACCESS TO DISTANCE LEARNING AND MEDICAL LINK SERVICES
State: Iowa
Grantee: Northwestern College
Counties: Sioux , Lyon, O’Brien, Plymouth
Subject: Internet Access

Orange City Residents in Sioux County, located in the northwest corner of Iowa, have historically received less than their share of federal funding assistance. From 1983 to 1992, Sioux County and five contiguous counties received an average of $220 per person in federal grant money, which is well below the national average of $545 and the State of Iowa average of $478 per person. Lack of funding assistance in the past has prevented these rural residents from the opportunity to gain access to adequate educational and medical services. With an RUS grant, however, the information superhighway has made “in roads” in northwestern Iowa.

In 1995, Northwestern College, in Orange City, was the recipient of a $350 thousand Telemedicine grant, which will assist in providing access to a wide variety of educational and medical services for over 20 thousand rural residents. The RUS grant will provide the local medical community with the means, through advanced telecommunications, to deliver more timely and cost effective health care to local residents. The Orange City Hospital and Clinic will organize a new Telemedicine Department that will develop an interactive video patient consultation program with specialists at major hospitals throughout Iowa which will enable patients to be treated by out-of-town specialists without leaving Orange City.

Local students are also benefiting from the interactive network. Local high schools will now be able to offer their students advanced science and math courses as well as expand their sources for research and information through interaction with researchers and other educators at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.

Overall, in addition to the enhanced medical treatment facilities, the grant from RUS is expected to benefit 1,900 students in the three local K-12 schools; 90 vocational and junior college students; and 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students. Business development and specialty courses such as marketing strategies for small businesses and crop production for local farmers are planned to be offered locally which will eliminate the inconvenience and cost of travel. And, it is estimated that 7,000 rural residents will have access to the Internet.