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HYDE-SMITH WELCOMES $1.87 MILLION FOR DISTANCE LEARNING, TELEHEALTH PROJECTS IN THREE MISS. SCHOOL DISTRICTS
USDA Rural Development Grants to Support Networks in Clay, Lawrence & Scott Counties
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced the award of grants worth more than $1.87 million for distance learning and telehealth networks in three rural Mississippi school districts.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development approved Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program grants to West Point Consolidated School District, Lawrence County School District, and Scott County School District for telecommunications networks that support distance learning and telehealth services.
“The lack of upgraded broadband and telecommunications services in rural Mississippi hinders educational achievement and limits the benefits of telemedicine,” Hyde-Smith said. “There is a stepped-up effort to increase appropriations to help rural communities upgrade these needed technologies, and I’m very pleased these three Mississippi school districts submitted successful applications for resources that will benefit their entire communities.”
DLT grants fund telecommunications and Internet services for distance learning and telemedicine networks in rural areas to increase access to education, training and health care resources that are otherwise limited or unavailable.
The USDA Rural Development grants, worth $1,871,164 combined, include:
· West Point Consolidated School District – $804,379 for equipment to improve access to telemedicine and classroom instruction, including state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment, interactive boards, teacher technology lecterns that support online learning.
· Lawrence County School District – $600,742 for equipment to provide a telemedicine and distance learning network, which would also support access to college courses, dual credit classes, teacher sharing, professional development, adult education classes, and workforce training.
· Scott County School District – $466,043 for equipment for a telemedicine and distance learning network that supports basic learning and educational services, language services, access to math, science and advanced classes (dual enrollment).
MageeNews.com is an online news source serving Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi.
From my point of view, this situation deserves a huge respect because Cindy Hyde-Smith opened a huge possibility for education to a lot of people. I think that her measures are truly needed because there are huge problems with technologies and implementing them into an everyday reality. Unfortunately, nowadays it is really important to have modern equipment which allows you to get access to some educational resources. Also, it is admirable that more than $1.87 million in grants were awarded not only for distance learning, but also for telemedicine networks in three rural Mississippi school districts because telemedicine gives an opportunity to raise the effectiveness of treatment and diagnosis to a qualitatively new level. I really hope that the situation in rural Mississippi school districts will change in a positive direction and distance education and telemedicine will reach a new level.