I’m a little slow on this story – but had to share it. It’s from Kanabec County Times about the opportunity students had at the 2012 Minnesota Broadband Conference to attend technology classes and about Kanabec County’s participation in the Blandin Broadband Communities (BBC) program).

About the Students…

Four Mora students and 33 others from across the state learned about new technology during a two-day training session in Duluth Nov. 13.

This is the first year that students in Mora are able to attend this conference. Led by Inver Hills Community College, students learned about computer hardware, networking, Web development and social media.

About BBC…

The Blandin Foundation announced Nov. 14 that Kanabec County was selected as a Blandin Broadband Community and awarded up to $100,000 for expanding broadband in the county. The Blandin Broadband Communities program is an intensive, two-year partnership between Blandin Foundation and selected rural Minnesota communities.

The program provides planning and organizing support to regions that demonstrate readiness and resources to either bring robust broadband adoption to communities without it, or assist already connected communities in making the best use of information and services broadband can deliver.

It’s fun to hear what the Blandin boost can mean to a community…

“The KBI group has been working since January 2011 to address the broadband needs of all county residents and businesses,” said Beth Thorp, Mora Community Development Planner.

“We see this partnership with the Blandin Foundation as a key step in our efforts to educate residents and business owners about the options and uses for broadband, as well as to continue to move us closer to our goal of providing increased broadband speeds and options to the rural parts of Kanabec County.”