The $100 million federal grant to create an affordable broadband network across the state will be completed in 36 months, said Chief Information Officer Dan Domagala.
Announced by Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. on Monday, Sept. 13, the grant will provide underserved schools, libraries, colleges and communities with high-speed Internet access. The project will potentially serve all 178 of the Colorado school districts, as well as the 26 libraries around the state without a broadband connection.
“Given the forthcoming projects that will fill the broadband pipes, we need to be deliberate and strategic in directing the investment of broadband dollars to rapidly build a reliable and cost-effective statewide network,” said Domagala.
As previously announced, the project will be led by EAGLE-Net, an intergovernmental agency borne out of the Centennial Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).
“Right now we’re waiting for the federal grant paperwork with the final instructions. The EAGLE-Net team is busy developing revised plans for implementation based on final instructions,” said Denise Atkinson-Shorey, chief information officer for EAGLE-Net. “Currently 20 school districts have Eagle-Net connections. We are identifying ‘shovel-ready’ areas that can be connected quickly, while defining build schedules around weather and geography for other sites.”
The project addresses the lack of affordable high-capacity broadband access at many rural and underserved school districts and educational institutions, many of which currently rely on outdated copper-based telecommunications facilities.
The $100 million grant is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included $7.2 billion to expand broadband connectivity nationwide.
Students at Landmark academy at reunion celebrate first annual latin culture week
Landmark Academy at Reunion , a tuition-free public charter school, recently hosted their First Annual Latin Culture Week, a week focused on educating students on the various aspects of Latin culture, from music and art to sports and celebrities, through unique activities. During the week-long celebration, students were able to step into the lives of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans with Latin culture lessons through piñata making, cultural crafts, songs, traditional foods and more. Students made maracas and learned a traditional Mexican Hat Dance; created Aztec suns working with metal tooling; and studied different countries in Mexico , Central America and South America . Aztec dancers from the Colorado Folk Arts Council also visited with students and educated them on the spiritual and traditional aspects of Aztec culture through dance. “We reside in a community with strong Latin and Hispanic roots,” said Matt Carlton, principal of Landmark Academy at Reunion . “Our community culture is important to us at Landmark. By providing unique ways for our students to learn the various backgrounds of our diverse community they are able to understand and appreciate different cultures.” For more information about Landmark Academy at Reunion , please visit www.landmarkacademy.org.
