RURAL INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY CENTERS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF COMMERCIALIZING RURAL INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY CENTERS (RITC'S)IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES FOR MODERNIZATION OF SERVICES AND GREATER ACCESS TO EXISTING AND FUTURE PROGRAM AND INFORMATION RESOURCES. RURAL COMMUNITIES FACE CHALLENGES INOBTAINING THE RESOURCES NEEDED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMPETING WITH URBAN CENTERS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN PROFESSIONALS AND VIABLE COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES. A SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH APPROACH FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON SURVEY AND INTERVIEW PROCESSES, WILL DETERMINE HOW STATE-OF-THE ARTTECHNOLOGIES CAN HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES SUCCESSFULLY FACE THESE CHALLENGES. THE PROJECT WILL PRIORITIZE NEEDS THAT EXIST FOR CONNECTIVITY TO PROGRAM AND INFORMATION SERVICES AND IDENTIFY AVAILABLE AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES. EXISTING AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE EXAMINED FOR INTEGRATION INTO CENTERS, WITH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES TO BE UNDERTAKEN FOR THE DESIGN OF COMPONENTS REQUIRED FOR THE COMBINED TECHNOLOGIES TO FUNCTION AS A UNIT. THIS EFFORT WILL UTILIZE THE EXTENSION KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE OF THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS (WHO FOUNDED AND HEADED THE NATIONS FIRST SATELLITE NETWORK TO MEET THE ACADEMIC NEEDS OF RURAL SCHOOLS) AS WELL AS THE SOCIOLOGICAL, GEOGRAPHIC, AND RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE OF AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY.