Rogers State University has received a $117,544 grant from the Oklahoma State Department of Education to enhance distance learning for elementary and high school students across Northeast Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, RSU’s governing board, ratified the grant during its meeting this week.
The grant will be used to support the NewNet 66 consortium, which provides the structural backbone for distance learning services to 28 public schools in northeastern Oklahoma. The schools are linked by a wide-area computer network, allowing them to share educational programming through streaming video, provide state-required Internet content filtering and support e-mail services.
RSU serves as the higher education partner for the consortium. In that capacity, the university provides educational offerings, consulting expertise and concurrent enrollment opportunities, said Peter Williams, RSU director of distance education.
The grant also will allow school officials at RSU and area school districts to purchase equipment to enhance the consortium’s network and train district staff on the use of technology as an instructional aid in the classroom.
This is the fourth consecutive year that RSU has received the grant for a four-year total of $898,852.
The four core schools served by New Net 66 are Catoosa, Claremore, Owasso and Verdigris, with other partner schools including Agra, Bixby, Caney, Dewey, Drumright, Goodland, Idabel, Keystone, Liberty, Locust Grove, Lone Star, Lowrey, Mason, Miami, Newkirk, Oilton, Okmulgee, Olive, Pawhuska, Preston, Quapaw, Schulter, South Coffeyville and Wynona. For more information on the consortium, visit www.newnet66.org.
For more information on RSU distance learning programs, call the RSU Office of Distance Education at (918) 343-7703