From the fumbling fingertips of a young novice to the silky strokes of a proficient, a musician’s dancing notes have the power to connect people, especially in rural places. The Itasca Orchestra Strings Program (IOSP) has been linking lives through music for 32 years. Early on, IOSP partnered with the Itasca Area Schools Collaborative (IASC) …
In 2010, the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) project was born from a $4.8 million Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Eleven demonstration communities were invited to utilize grant funding to implement a number of broadband projects from 2010 to 2013. Communities collaborated with over 30 statewide partner …
Can a small community stimulate new business based on the use of an ultra-high-speed broadband network? This question nipped at Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP) alumnus Scott Adkisson as he weighed on how to capitalize on Red Wing being chosen as a US Ignite program partner. “At first, people didn’t get it,” said Scott. “It’s …
What does Gloria Estefan, pianist Michael Feinstein, singer/songwriter James Taylor and the Deer River High School Choir have in common? The answer: a passion for music and the technology to bring them together. On May 22, 2013, the 3rd annual Bridging the Gap Concert kicked off with a performance by Emerson Middle School in Los Angeles, …
Rural leaders passionate about getting, and keeping, their communities connected to the global economy via broadband gather today, not for a webinar or livestream, but for a conference. “Building our Connected Future: Minnesota’s Better with Broadband,” cosponsored with Connect Minnesota, opens in Duluth this afternoon, following on the heels of a half-day meeting of the …
We’re celebrating tonight with our Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) Partners. Together, we were named the 2012 Innovative Collaboration of the Year at this evening’s Tekne Awards, sponsored by the Minnesota High Tech Association. Over the past two years, our coalition of 10 rural Minnesota communities and dozens of regional and statewide partners has worked …
They say everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame — and today it’s the Itasca Area School Collaborative‘s turn. The seven-district consortium’s $1 million federal RUS grant to bring telepresence to 20-plus schools was featured in an MSNBC article about the changing landscape of technology in America’s schools. While the story may bring 15 minutes …
Helping rural communities make the most of broadband takes work on many fronts. Communities across rural Minnesota are successfully tackling various facets of that work as part of the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) project. Community leaders have been focusing their efforts on reducing barriers and encouraging online ventures, and their work is bearing fruit. …