Community & Economic Empowerment and Consulting
The broadband unit is much more than just a mobile or nomadic internet hot spot. It is a multifaceted hub with video conference capabilities, radios, 900mhz wireless backup, a weather station, a drone docking station and remote control camera and sensors. The next generation of development will look at incorporating artificial intelligence and Internet of Things.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jul/29/nomadic-broadband-unit-can-supply-off-grid-communi/
Broadband is critical to remote and rural areas where tribes and towns are located. Situated in the northeastern corner of Washington state, Ferry County is a mountainous, forested, ruggedly beautiful region. Bordered by Canada to the north and the Columbia River on the east, it’s the state’s fourth most sparsely populated county; the largest town, Republic, founded by gold prospectors in the late 19th century, has fewer than 1,000 residents. https://ced.cw.wsu.edu/about/new/
The county’s gold mines and all but one sawmill are now closed, and the region has struggled in recent years to attract people and businesses. The lack of rural broadband is a major reason, says Trevor Lane, an assistant professor and the director of community and economic development for Washington State University’s extension office in Republic.
“If you’re not in town, you don’t have any kind of reliable broadband,” he says. “It’s impeding our ability to attract businesses. I know of three businesses that had to go elsewhere because we don’t have sufficient broadband.”
To read more of this Microsoft Feature, click here: https://news.microsoft.com/features/how-high-speed-internet-is-bringing-people-out-of-the-dark-ages-to-reshape-work-and-life-in-rural-america/
Speaking at a national broadband conference was a pivotal point in advocating for tribal and rural broadband. Remote, rural, and frontier communities are plagued with a disparity from a lack of access to quality broadband. World class broadband means quality education and workforce opportunities improving youth retention, local economies, and food systems to name a few of the benefits.
The current pandemic brought Dr. Lane’s broadband work and research to the forefront of national and international conversations. As an advocate for economic development and digital upskilling through broadband access and adoption, he is helping communities. Programs and workshops are designed to improve digital skills supporting students, displaced workers, and those unemployed or under-employed.
Education reform and professional reflection is powerful when critically thinking about our personal achievements. A LinkedIn article is currently being drafted as a result of personal reflections that surfaced in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a national panel of innovative university leaders and curriculum developers convened recently, it is no longer possible to be silent about the need for enhanced distributed learning and education reform!
As an advocate for change and better living, a quest within the Academy began when entering education. Simply, working and teaching at a four-year university was a goal of the highest order.
Currently employed at a tier one international research institution of higher learning, means affiliation with the rank and file of the Academy. Amazed at how academe has rank and order emanating from a 13th Century model in the 21st Century, it is critical to define a path to full professor and upward mobility. In the journey from assistant to full professor, being at the halfway point as an associate professor leaves great room for reflection. It was refreshing being recognized by alma mater, University of Southern California (USC), Rossier College of Education where the realization of goal achievement occured.
https://rossier.usc.edu/files/2020/05/USC_Rossier_Class_Notes_-_Spring_2020_Issue_FINAL.pdf
Some organizations can pivot in the margins or adapt to changing business climate rapidly. Today, we have more generations in the workforce than at any other time. Read my article on LinkedIn titled The Learning Organization and a Multi-generation Workforce.
We discuss how to embrace a multi-generation workforce because organizations must not only learn to communicate in different ways with employees they must embrace generative learning in order to see the world in new ways. This iteration will allow organizations to pivot through disruption and innovation.
Working with elected officials is one way for Extension educators to demonstrate programmatic effectiveness to achieve funding of local programs. In this use case scenario, supporting elected officials with evaluation and analyzing data provided a greatly needed resource leading to improvements in funding and programmatic outreach. Use Case Scenario
Trevor C Lane, Ed.D. (aka Dr. Change) is often asked, “What do you do for WSU?” In an interview with Kevin Weir, Action Coach director, Dr. Change shares his story of outreach and success discussing what it’s like to work with tribal and rural communities.
The national landscape reveals gaps or a divide in key services and resources, known as the Urban/Rural/Tribal Divide. Dr. Change works across many lines to address a variety of issues. For example, the federal government demonstrates the existence of food deserts and broadband deserts or a digital divide. Nonpartisan programs and projects in our tribal and rural communities are designed to bolster small business ecosystems, technology, and agritourism for small farms and ranches with support from state and federal agencies, as well as several federally recognized tribes in Washington.
As a state specialist for Washington State University (WSU) Extension, tribal and rural communities are in great need. Trevor C Lane, Ed.D. (aka Dr. Change) leverages scholarly activity with community outreach and economic engagement to identify the unique needs, challenges, and opportunities to support leaders in their efforts to achieve success through organizational change. Youth retention efforts are pronounced by advocating for tribal and rural youth having a voice and a vote.
With extensive research and knowledge in events and tourism, the Wildrose Prairie is one of a few agritourism cooperatives supported. This experience culminated in a position as an executive board member for the Washington Festivals & Events Association (WFEA). Dr. Change was recognized by colleagues and received the National Achievement Award for his work in using technology for community narratives and storytelling.