VERMONT COUNCIL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT

e-Vermont: The Vermont Community Broadband Project is a new initiative to help rural Vermont towns take full advantage of the Internet and advance a wide variety of local needs including economic development, school innovation, job creation, downtown marketing, community engagement, and e-commerce. Two dozen communities statewide will be selected to work with the new e-Vermont Partnership in a comprehensive effort combining online services, training, access, awareness, and planning. By reaching the bedrocks of Vermont communities -- schools, businesses, municipal government, libraries, health and social services groups -- the e-Vermont Project will promote new collaborative efforts for identifying and implementing previously untapped resources and help our towns fully realize the potential of the digital age. The e-Vermont project will learn from each of the selected towns and share these best practices in the utilization of digital tools through symposia and conferences statewide. e-Vermont Goals *Increase civic involvement and build community *Advance local government communications, efficiency and transparency *Promote local business innovation and prosperity *Improve health and wellness service and delivery *Advance 21st Century learning in and out of school *Support local use of the Internet in myriad ways to advance communications, education and community projects *Increase take-rates for broadband in rural areas to encourage Internet providers to extend existing networks. e-Vermont will be led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development Partners include: *Digital Wish *Front Porch Forum *The Snelling Center for Government *Vermont Department of Libraries *Vermont Department of Public Service *Vermont Small Business Development Center *Vermont State Colleges Funding and Support: The Vermont Broadband Project is supported by a $2.5 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Additional support comes from these Vermont philanthropists and corporate associates: *Comcast *Dell *Evslin Family Foundation *Jan and David Blittersdorf Foundation *Microsoft *UVMs Center for Rural Studies *Vermont Rural Partnership *VT Community Foundation What Will e-Vermont Do? e-Vermont will provide technical assistance, equipment and facilitation, and some funding to the selected communities. The Vermont Broadband Project will be guided by the e-Vermont Partnership, but its focus is on the grassroots needs of each selected community. Local task forces will lead the way in developing specific plans for their locale. Potential actions supported by e-Vermont include: *e-government training and consultation on podcasting, on-line meetings, community scheduling, website development *Computer equipment and enhancement of e-services in libraries *Specialized classes ranging from basic computer literacy to advanced applications to meet the range of community and business needs *Building community calendars, business directories, buy-local maps, arts and crafts tours, sports schedules, ride shares, and a variety of new locally-driven digital applications *Expanding on-line computer health information and opportunities *Expanding the utilization of web-based tools to facilitate community engagement and advance locally-designed initiatives *Providing direct business consultation services to improve business efficiency and expand web-based marketing, commerce and profitability *Building on-line networks that link neighbors to each other and to local services *Delivering new netbook computers to the families of middle school children who receive school lunch assistance *Involving youth in leadership to build community connection *Providing teacher training and curriculum development assistance to spur Internet utilization in and out of school *Providing new computer based services to connect seniors with their families

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