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Outreach and Engagement Awards

Connecting Rural Ohio: The Role of Technology in Rural Community Transformation

Ohio State Partners: Office of the Chief Information Officer; College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, OSU Extension; Ohio Supercomputer Center
Community Partners: Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Supercomputer Center, American Distance Education Consortium, Governor's Office of Appalachia, University of Rio Grande, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Ohio Learning Network, Gallia County Local Schools, MindLeaders, Microsoft Corporation
Links: CRO website; streaming video of Village of Vinton WiFi installation

Since 2003, The Ohio State University Office of the Chief Information Officer has served as the lead institution to extend broadband Internet access to geographically remote and underserved Ohio Appalachian communities through satellite-based Internet “last mile” wired and wireless solutions. Key objectives of this collaborative initiative include closing the digital divide between rural and urban communities, creating community computing and learning centers with PCs and printers, providing community WiFi, and assisting the local business with e-commerce initiatives. The Connecting Rural Ohio (CRO) initiative builds upon the rich traditions and mission of the land-grant universities as transformational institutions. Ohio State has engaged these communities by building high-tech network infrastructures that deliver a full range of programs and services broadening the access to distance learning opportunities. The community wireless network infrastructure deliver needed job training and employment skills that businesses are demanding in a global market. Additionally, this initiative enhances the quality of community life through interinstitutional and public and private partnerships so that resources are used in the most effective and efficient ways possible. CRO helps close the rural divide that previously existed in communities through this “rural datafication” program. The Office of the CIO has donated the time of its professional staff to manage this project and to design, install, and remotely monitor these community networks. The equipment has been paid for with grants and donations, and the local community pays only for the satellite connectivity. This connectivity is at a highly discounted rate, which was arranged through the partnership with the American Distance Education Consortium. Connecting Rural Ohio has received considerable media attention:

• “Switch Board in the Sky,” New York Times, May 3, 2006
• “No more life in Internet slow lane for rural town,” Columbus Dispatch, June 16, 2006
• “On-ramp to opportunity: Bringing high-speed Internet to isolated communities is a worthwhile public investment,” Columbus Dispatch editorial, June 24, 2005

In addition, because of the uniqueness of the university outreach initiative, the CIO team was invited before the Federal Communications Commission’s Policy and Strategic Planning Committee to present its project. In summary, The Ohio State University is in a leadership role in creating a technology framework for social inclusion to foster development through the effective integration of information and communication technology into underserved Ohio rural communities. This unique university-directed outreach initiative offers a cost-effective solution to rural Ohio communities having no other broadband alternative for last mile connectivity. Most important, the initiative delivers needed educational and workforce development programs to underserved communities and offers the private Internet provider sector with a business model and justification for future investment of services in these communities.

Rebuilding the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Ohio State Partner: City and Regional Planning, Knowlton School of Architecture, College of Engineering
Community Partner: Harrison County, Mississippi
Links: Community Plans
Photo: Pineville Boat Launch plan

Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, the Knowlton School of Architecture was interested in finding a way to help in the recovery and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. Harrison County, Mississippi, and the City and Regional Planning program at Ohio State University formed a partnership in 2005 that continues today. Harrison County was significantly affected by the storm, with a number of communities losing 90 percent of their housing. The partnership started with donations from Ohio State University and planning organizations to bring a team of 12 students and city and regional planning professor Jennifer Evans-Cowley to work with two rural communities in Harrison County in developing long-range rebuilding plans. After the successful completion of the first round of plans, the project expanded to include engaging OSU to initiate and manage all of the long-range planning processes for the county. Students have been an integral part of the planning efforts. Students from across the university complete the community plans as part of courses wherein they travel to Harrison County to engage with the citizens and leaders. Other students participate in independent study courses allowing them to research policies that could be used in Harrison County. Other students participate as interns working on planning projects with the county. As a result, students have been able to participate in transactive planning, which is a mutual learning process that allows the students to learn from citizens and the citizens to learn from the students. One of the key elements of the partnership has been strong community engagement and empowerment. OSU adopted a model of empowerment, which allowed citizens to express what they wanted for their future and then teach them how to effectively reach implementation. This started with engaging citizens early and throughout the process. This was achieved through town hall meetings, newsletters, an 800 number, online discussion board, one-on-one contact, and steering committees. By engaging citizens throughout the process the goal is to facilitate a commitment to implementation. The results of the planning process have been called “a model for regional planning” by the Mississippi Governor’s Office for Recovery and Rebuilding. The community plans have received a number of state and national level awards for outstanding quality. What started out as $17,000 in donations has turned into more than $1.1 million in grant funding to support the initiative over a 5-year period. The result for the county and its communities is a clear path to achieve rebuilding.

Pineville Boat Launch photo: The Pineville Community, with the help of the planning team, determined the best way to achieve their goal of preserving the rural and natural character of the community was to promote ecotourism. The plan includes adding canoe launch points along Bayou portage, allowing for the Pineville neighborhood center to become a destination by water. As a result of the vision in the community plan and the efforts of the citizens to pursue this goal, the National Park Service selected the Historic Portage Trail project as part of its technical assistance program.

Saucier Farmers Market photo: As part of the empowerment model, citizens are charged with turning the plans into reality. In the Saucier community, a major goal was to get a grocery store so residents wouldn’t have to drive half an hour to get groceries. As a first step the citizens initiated a twice a week farmers market that attracts farmers from across the region and provides local residents with convenient access to fresh food.

2008 O&E Awards: Economic Development page 2

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