Brown Announces More Than $400,000 for Distance Workforce Development & Education Courses at Kent State University

Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $428,091 in Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant funding to Kent State University to help provide advanced video conferencing at four hub sites and 11 end-user locations throughout Geauga, Ashtabula, and Summit counties. This project will allow 7th-12th graders and adults to enroll in courses for credit and workforce training programs for area employees, and bolster community health outreach capabilities for county residents and experiential learning opportunities for Kent State allied health students. Overall, this project is expected to benefit over 72,000 people.

“Ohio communities need access to the technology necessary to provide proper workforce development and health education services,” Brown said. “This funding will give Kent State University the tools needed to adapt and ensure that community’s needs are being met.”

Kent State University will provide $64,214 in additional funding to bring the total funding for this project to $492,305.

These funds are a part of the USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program (DLT). The program helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, helps rural residents tap into the enormous potential of modern telecommunications and the Internet for education and health care, and overcome the effects of remoteness and low population density. 

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