USDA RUS Grant Allows MPB to Connect High Quality Teachers with Students in Rural Mississippi
February 1, 2012
In th
e fall of 2011, Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) was awarded the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Grant (DLT) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Services. MPB will use their award of $259,533 to help improve the Mississippi Interactive Video Network (MIVN), through the purchase of new video bridge and content service equipment.
MIVN is an educational tool, using technology to grant educators the ability to offer new opportunities to all students regardless of their location. In partnership with educators throughout the state, MIVN services include videoconferencing, streaming, and downloading from the internet and online professional development to improve the access of education to every student.
MPB will use the DLT funds to expand the capabilities and reach of MIVN even further, focusing on bringing Mississippi up to national averages in high school, middle and elementary education across all subjects. It will provide remote areas access to Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) through the use of video conferencing and distance learning, and the purchase of new equipment will allow for a better variety of courses, as well as offer even greater dual enrollment opportunities at the college level. Additionally, as a television network, MPB will have the ability to provide a variety of pre-recorded classes free to the television owning public.
MPB had expressed a desire to apply to the DLT program for quite some time, but always felt the program was more tailored to school districts. Not to mention, a required in-kind match of 30 percent was quite discouraging. However, after consulting closely with vendors, internal IT staff, and distance learning professionals, along with the help of a grant writer familiar with the DLT program, MPB submitted a strong proposal showcasing their station’s ability to make MIVN an even greater success.
Applying for the necessary funds to make this project happen was not a simple task. Nikki McCelleis, Deputy Executive Director of Education at MPB, provides three key pieces of advice for those who may be considering applying for federal funding. First, “allow yourself plenty of time to work.” Federal grants require a lot of paperwork, which can be very time consuming. Second, “make partnerships and collaborate with other grant recipients, and work with partners familiar with the grant.” Partnerships were a key factor in MPB’s success. Finally, look into your historical data and “be sure that the project will have a broad impact on a large number of people.” Providing evidence that your program is, and will continue to be, successful is the best way to showcase its worth.
