[CUWiN] Regional Conference in Terre Haute (Tomorrow).

[Sascha Meinrath]

FYI:

The Role of Education and Telecommunications in Workforce and Economic 
Development in West Central Indiana and Eastern Illinois

Indiana State University (ISU) is hosting a regional conference on May 3, 
focusing on the role of education and broadband telecommunications deployment 
for workforce and economic development in west central Indiana and eastern 
Illinois.   The conference is co-sponsored by the Wabash Valley Advanced 
Manufacturing Cluster (WVAMC) and the Wabash Valley Education Alliance (WVEA). 
It will be held in the Hulman Memorial Student Union (HMSU) on the campus of 
ISU on May 3, in Dede 1.  The registration desk will open at 8 a.m., with the 
formal program scheduled from 8:45a.m. – 3:30 p.m.  There is no registration fee 
and a continental breakfast and deli-style lunch will be served.  Parking is 
also complimentary.

The keynote speakers include:  Patty Shutt, Director of the Division of Career 
and Technical Education for the Indiana Department of Education, who will 
discuss new educational programs being utilized by schools to prepare students 
for both college and work: Kimberly Tucker, Principal of Owen Valley High 
School, who will inform conference participants with the results of implementing 
some of these curricular and co-curricular programs;  Bill Graham, Mayor of 
Scottsburg, IN, will discuss why and how they developed a broadband 
telecommunications system, how it has expanded, and what results they have seen. 
   Sascha Meinrath, co-founder and Project Coordinator of the Champaign-Urbana 
Community Wireless Network (CUWiN) provide information on how telecommunications 
networks can improve the educational, economic, cultural and political life of 
their communities through technology.  Other presenters will talk about work 
skills required for the workforce in this region of western Indiana and eastern 
Illinois.

In the afternoon, one panel will include will concentrate on the development of 
effective initiatives for schools that benefit students and prepare them for 
college and for the workforce.  Panel members, among others, are from Owen 
Valley High School, and from the national award winning Century Career Center, 
part of Logansport High School.  A second panel will focus on telecommunications 
development in the twelve-county region.  Again, leaders with much experience in 
the telecommunications industry with lead this panel discussion.  Sascha, who 
presents at the morning session, will be a member of a panel chaired by Eric 
Olson, who was born and educated in Sullivan.

The conference is made available by a grant from the Indiana Rural Development 
Council.  The funds were awarded for an economic development initiative entitled 
The Partnership for Progress.  It includes a twelve county region composed of 
Clay, Daviess, Green, Knox, Parke, Putnam, Owen, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo 
counties in Indiana and Clark and Edgar counties in Illinois.  The goal of the 
project is 1) the creation of a strong, business driven, public-private 
partnership focused on regional workforce development, and 2) the development of 
a plan for an enhanced public-private system of telecommunication connectivity 
to the rural communities of the region.

Achieving these goals will make a significant improvement in the quality of life 
in the Wabash Valley, but will require a commitment from community leaders 
throughout the twelve-county area.  Your participation in this endeavor plays an 
important part in achieving this success.  If for some reason you cannot attend, 
please feel free to send a representative from your organization. The ideas 
being discussed at this conference are supportive of the Accelerating Growth 
plan for economic development announced by the Indiana Economic development 
Corporation.

Please make your reservations today by phoning ISU between 8:00 and 4:30 p.m. 
812-237-4011, or toll free at 1-800- 234-1639 and asking for Cheryl.  You may 
also register through e-mail at: cpruitt at indstate.edu.

-- 
Sascha Meinrath
Policy Analyst    *  Project Coordinator  *  President
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