Courtesy of Prairie View A&M University
Thanks to the internet, just about everything is at our fingertips—information, opportunities and connections. But what if you can’t access the internet?
That’s where the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative steps in. Its goal is to bring high-speed internet to everyone in America.
Earlier this year, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a subsidiary of the Department of Commerce, announced Prairie View A&M University, alongside 60 other colleges and universities, was awarded a collective $175 million on the Internet for All Initiative as part of the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.
PVAMU will receive $3 million for the Air Panther NextGen Network, a future-forward initiative that connects teaching, research and service to tangible outcomes for students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders.
“Support for significant aid to improve broadband and infrastructure is a boost for faculty, students, and the community surrounding our campus,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research & Innovation Magesh Rajan. “The University is always working to engage with the economic development of Waller County and the Hempstead School District. This grant assists our efforts to keep minority communities well-connected.”
“As a land grant institution, PVAMU works to support education, research, extension and outreach that address critical challenges at many levels,” shared Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs James M. Palmer. “This award helps to amplify that work on campus and in communities close to home, particularly supporting broadband upgrades, continuing education initiatives, and training programs in digital skills.”
The first phase of the University’s work will focus on shoring up PVAMU’s internal infrastructure related to broadband and technology-mediated classroom connectivity. In the second phase of the rollout, the benefits of this infrastructural upgrade will be extended to the greater local community.
The project will help diminish the digital divide while strengthening connections between the University and its anchor communities.
“The Air Panther NextGen Network seeks to elevate the socio-economic status of the communities we serve by supporting more equitable access to education, digital competencies, and relevant skills,” said Rebecca L. Faison, director of Continuing Education. “This project will produce more positive people experiences by further building linkages between PVAMU and surrounding communities.”
The project’s outcomes include:
- PVAMU broadband infrastructure upgrades
- SMART Boards and HyFlex technologies for designated PVAMU classrooms
- Virtual-reality-augmented classroom training series for pre-service and in-service teachers
- Continuing education platform for non-traditional students
- Hempstead ISD technology assistance and improvements
- Digital skills training programs for PVAMU students and residents of Hempstead and Prairie View
Leading the project for PVAMU includes Faison, Rajan, Tony Moore, chief information officer, and Charlene Stubblefield, executive director of the Center for Instructional Innovation & Technology Services.
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Internet for All’s Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program explicitly directs $268 million for expanding high-speed Internet access and connectivity to eligible HBCUs, Tribal Colleges or Universities, and other minority-serving institutions.
“Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service is necessary for minority students and local communities to fully access school, healthcare, and jobs,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Department of Commerce has made a significant investment into minority-serving colleges and universities, and I am proud to say that all funding from the Connecting Minority Communities program has been distributed to help make internet connectivity a reality for tens of thousands of students at minority-serving colleges and universities across the country.”