University News
SBC to Present WIU, Black Hawk and Technology Now with Tech Funding
November 9, 2005
MOLINE, IL – On Monday, Nov. 14 three organizations – the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) at Western Illinois University, Black Hawk College (BHC) and Technology Now – will receive SBC Excelerator technology grants, totalling $55,000, from the SBC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc. SBC representatives will present the check to Western, BHC and Technology Now officials at 10 a.m. in the John Deere Decision Sciences Room on the WIU-QC campus.
According to Marc Blakeman, regional vice president of SBC Illinois, the SBC Excelerator is a major philanthropic initiative that connects the nationÂ’s neediest residents, including at-risk youth and underserved urban families, to important community resources. The program empowers nonprofits to use technology to expand the reach of services and to heighten the impact those services have on people in the community. SBC Excelerator technology grants are designed to address the shortfall by providing the funding needed for critical infrastructure, such as communications systems, computer networks, client management databases and Internet access.
“Illinois nonprofit organizations make a profound difference in our communities and in the lives of people across the country,” Blakeman said. “We commend Sen. Mike Jacobs and Rep. Pat Verschoore for their commitment to help communities at the local level and acknowledging the key role local nonprofits play in delivering community services.”
WesternÂ’s College of Education and Human Services will use its portion of the grant to incorporate videoclips of effective applications of instructional technology into WesternÂ’s STAR-Online Virtual Teaching and Learning Community. Black Hawk College will use the grant to fully implement their wireless technology plan by deploying additional wireless hot spots in key areas throughout the campus to increase student, faculty and visitor accessibility and speed up wireless access through a network upgrade. The SBC Excellerator grant will enable Technology Now to provide training sessions to students in the Hispanic community that would be otherwise unable or have difficulty attending because of a lack of sufficient funding for trainers, materials and facilities.
“The longstanding partnership between SBC and Western Illinois University’s College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) has transformed the environment for teaching and learning in Illinois schools. With a nearly $2 million cumulative investment, SBC has facilitated the availability of an online, asynchronous professional development system for teachers across the state,” said COEHS Dean Bonnie Smith-Skripps.
Kim Sheese, technology coordinator of Aledo Community Unit School District No. 201, has participated in WesternÂ’s STAR-Online program thanks to SBC grants.
“In a time of tight budgets, SBC grants have allowed our staff to have professional development opportunities through the STAR-Online program. Our staff can participate anytime, anywhere,” Sheese said. “The STAR-Online program has been an excellent addition in our toolbox of professional development and technology integration resources.”
“I am proud of the work being done by these three organizations. Whenever I think of Western Illinois University, Black Hawk College or Technology Now, I immediately think of the critical role that technology plays in our day to day lives and the excellent training being done by these three,” Jacobs added. “ Technology training needs to increase every day, we must continue to focus on technology for the future.”
The SBC Foundation provided $6 million in 2005 SBC Excelerator competitive grants to 513 nonprofit organizations throughout the SBC 13-state region. The competitive grant program is part of an overall $7 million 2005 SBC Excelerator initiative.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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