The Alberta Government "Access to the Future" Fund has just announced a $2million SuperNet connectivity investment to a consortium partnership of Alberta social agencies. This innovative project is the collective effort of the Community Learning Network, Literacy Alberta and Volunteer Alberta. Full Disclosure, my firm, Cambridge Strategies Inc. was retained by the consortium to assist in developing the project design and proposal development.
The consortium project will focus on bringing SuperNet capacity and connectivity to communities and individuals throughout Alberta. Rural communities and groups who engage early will benefit the most from this investment because of enhanced community and individual access to the SuperNet.
Rural Alberta will have improved quantity, quality, convenience and access to a wide range of learning and other opportunities through this initiative. The project outcomes will ensure distance and time will no longer be a barrier. Access to the SuperNet will improve communication and connectivity capacity for groups and individuals all over Alberta, including and enabling more urban and rural networking .
The project will also provide technical resources and supports to enable an integrated and standard platform for the consortium to deliver enhanced Community Adult Learning Programs, Volunteer Adult Literacy Services and information and programs to Volunteers Centres across the province. Individuals and groups across the province will be able to use this enhanced SuperNet access and capacity for more sharing, networking, video-conferencing and holding web-based net-meetings.
This social entrepreneurial project will have spin off benefits that will also enhance rural-based businesses and professionals. By adapting and adopting the SuperNet technology connectivity, rural-based businesses will be able to grow and generate more opportunities. Rural entrepreneurs will have access tomuch larger markets because location will not be the limiting factor it used to be as time and distance is “virtually” eliminated through SuperNet access.
This project is going to be a paradigm shift that will add to the overall viability, vibrancy and quality of living in communities all over rural Alberta. Having a critical mass of population will no longer be a critical factor for continued community viability and sustainability as a result of this innovative approach to enhanced SuperNet access.
The consortium project will focus on bringing SuperNet capacity and connectivity to communities and individuals throughout Alberta. Rural communities and groups who engage early will benefit the most from this investment because of enhanced community and individual access to the SuperNet.
Rural Alberta will have improved quantity, quality, convenience and access to a wide range of learning and other opportunities through this initiative. The project outcomes will ensure distance and time will no longer be a barrier. Access to the SuperNet will improve communication and connectivity capacity for groups and individuals all over Alberta, including and enabling more urban and rural networking .
The project will also provide technical resources and supports to enable an integrated and standard platform for the consortium to deliver enhanced Community Adult Learning Programs, Volunteer Adult Literacy Services and information and programs to Volunteers Centres across the province. Individuals and groups across the province will be able to use this enhanced SuperNet access and capacity for more sharing, networking, video-conferencing and holding web-based net-meetings.
This social entrepreneurial project will have spin off benefits that will also enhance rural-based businesses and professionals. By adapting and adopting the SuperNet technology connectivity, rural-based businesses will be able to grow and generate more opportunities. Rural entrepreneurs will have access tomuch larger markets because location will not be the limiting factor it used to be as time and distance is “virtually” eliminated through SuperNet access.
This project is going to be a paradigm shift that will add to the overall viability, vibrancy and quality of living in communities all over rural Alberta. Having a critical mass of population will no longer be a critical factor for continued community viability and sustainability as a result of this innovative approach to enhanced SuperNet access.
The last sentence of your blog, (in particular the phrases "critical mass of population" and "continued community viability and sustainability") resonate with me as I face a Board meeting tomorrow night to vote on initiating the school closure process on two Edmonton schools and a continuation of the Sustainability Review process for three schools. I'm wondering how we at EPSB can use technology to ensure the longterm viability of schools that do not have a critical mass of population. Funding schools by offering long-distance learning to students in other parts of the world? Video conferencing to enhance teaching and learning opportunities? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteSue - the ESPB is world renown for the school based budgeting expertise and effective outcomes.
ReplyDeleteThis project could stimulate the use this internet based technology to deliver Alberta levels of education to developing countries.
Using the Internet and the expertise that has been developed in Alberta in distance education in places like Athabasca University with the EPSB as the source would see our education system as one of our most precious and potentially profitable exports.
Culture and language is a major challenge but we have so much cultural diversity in the EPSB system now, we can use those people to teach us how to connect with their cultures. And they can be tutors for kids over the Internet with their mother-tongue language skills.
It is a creative way to use facilities and to integrate new immigrant populations in Alberta into the education system in a meaningful way. We can use this idea as a way to employ these people as part of the innovation and to put some money in their pockets to boot...and we know these new immigrant families could use that kind of help.
That is just off the top of my head. If you want a more considered and reflective set of ideas, let me know.
Sue,
ReplyDeleteKen is the guy with creativity off the top... For may part I want to amplify the importance of the work you are undertaking in trying to find reasonable ways to keep schools open.
The school in my neighbourhood was scheduled to close 15+ years ago... and was kept open (just barely) by partnership with Non-profit service providers and internal service provision to the rest of the school board.... Even today our school is not one of the largest (guessing) BUT it has played a pivitol roll in the rejuvination of our community and reinvestment by many young families in my community. We have scads of young kids and lots of volunteers for other community efforts... THANKS to EPSB for keeping our school open and keeping our community vibrant! A school is essential to a complete community.
So THANK YOU Sue, keep up your good work it is hugely important if we are ever to redensify our City in a vital and positive manner.
greengirl
Hi Ken,
ReplyDeleteI'm doing a project on the Alberta Supernet as well. Your second last paragraph really touched on the research I'm trying to do. Would you be able to tell me more about the places you're looking at, and share some of the information you've collected?
Anon- send me an email ken@cambridgestrategies.com
ReplyDelete