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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2012 SCHUMER ANNOUNCES HERKIMER- FULTON-HAMILTON-OTSEGO BOCESTO RECEIVE OVER $338,000 FEDERAL GRANT FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES – INVESTMENT WILL LEAD TO STATE OF THE ART, HIGH-TECH EDUCATION SERVICES
Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES has received a Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant for $338,716 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant will be used to improve distance learning options for high school students through the BOCES program. “With New York’s school districts fighting debilitating cuts, distance learning is a proven cost and time saver,” said Schumer. “This technology allows students to take advantage of great teachers in the region from their local BOCES; it’s exactly the solution we need right now.”
Rural Development funds will be used by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services to invest in distance learning and video teleconferencing equipment that will help to interconnect local high schools and other educational facilities in 12 school districts. Each site will both originate and receive instructed courses and related educational content across the network, with a new content server located at BOCES to capture and stream the media being produced. The network will help local school districts leverage the available teaching staff to reach a wider student population, which could help to offset the severe budget cuts.
The grant is part of the USDA Rural Development annual budget. USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents. Rural Development fosters growth in homeownership, finances business development, and supports the creation of necessary community and technology infrastructure. ### ### |