Every year, the Blandin on Broadband blog does County Broadband Profiles (and will do again when the new maps come out) but given federal opportunities are making it possible to get funding for access and adoption, I thought I’d try to present information for counties to assess their digital equity standing (see table below) and give options for who to contact locally for more information.
Summary
Stevens County ranks 25 out of 87 counties for digital equity. Stevens County ranks well overall because their ranking for broadband at speeds of 100 Mbps down and 20 up is 2! Their other rankings are not as good. That’s an opportunity to use broadband to improve educational attainment or lower poverty rates. The good news is that they have been working on digital equity, so they have the local expertise and community engagement.
Scroll down for details and suggested resources for more information.
Blandin Foundation is using the Microsoft Digital Equity Tool to determine needs by county and make high level recommendations for next steps to consider based on the data. (With special thanks to Carter Grupp, Broadband Coordinator Broadband Coordinator at American Connection Project for Otter Tail County.) Visit the tool if you want to look up more statistics on your community.
Demographic Data and Ranking (out of 87)
| Stevens County | Ranking |
| Access to 100/20 | 2 |
| No bachelors | 13 |
| No HS degree | 18 |
| Below 150% poverty (last 12 months) | 41 |
| Below poverty (last 12 months) | 62 |
| Disability | 25 |
| No computer | 21 |
| No broadband access | 28 |
| No subscription | 33 |
| Overall average | 25 |
The map below shows digital inequity by census tract. The bluer the better; yellow and orange colors indicate more inequity. This map can be helpful in figuring out which parts of your county need the most help.
So where do you go to talk to people in the county about digit equity plans? Good places to start include:
Libraries
Schools
- Chokio-Alberta Public School District (ISD #771)
Superintendent Tate Jerome
tjerome@chokioalberta.k12.mn.us
(320) 324-7131
http://www.chokioalberta.k12.mn.us - Hancock Public School District (ISD #768)
Superintendent Paul Carlson
carlson@hancockisd768.org
(320) 392-5622
http://hancock.k12.mn.us - Morris School District (ISD #2769)
Superintendent Shane Monson
smonson@morris.k12.mn.us
(320) 589-4840 x2222
http://www.morris.k12.mn.us/
There’s a lot to take in but sometimes it’s also helpful to see what a community has done in the past, so we’ve gathered specific projects funded through the Blandin Foundation:
| Project Owner | Project Name | Description |
| Chokio-Alberta Public Schools | Chokio-Alberta Schools | Project support to prepare students to work in a technology-based future through exposure to career opportunities and insight into the necessary skill sets for those jobs |
| Hancock Public Schools | Chromebooks for School and Community | Project support to provide technology training to students and community members |
| ISD 2769 Morris Area School | One to the World | Project support to fully integrate technology into classrooms for each learner through internet access and mobile devices |
There’s a lot to take in but sometimes it’s also helpful to see what a community has done in the past, so we’ve gathered specific projects funded through the Blandin Foundation. (Stevens County participated in multiple Blandin cohorts.):
| Chokio Alberta Public School | Broadband Upgrade | Chokio Alberta Public School District 771 will increase its broadband speed from 3Mbps to 6Mbps and provide four additional Internet wireless routers on the Chokio campus by December 31, 2011. |
| Hancock Public Library | Increase Broadband Access and Education | The Hancock Community Library will purchase one laptop computer and its associated support equipment for use within the Library. The laptop will be available to recognized community organizations at no cost for workshop and training purposes, when not being used by the Library. Atomic Learning software will be included on the laptop for online training purposes for the public and the library staff. |
| Hancock Public School | Broadband Upgrade | Hancock Public School District 768 will increase its broadband speed from 3Mbps to 10Mbps. |
| Midwest Special Education Cooperative | Online Speech Therapy | Midwest Special Education Cooperative will 1) provide Internet-based speech therapy and other special education services to students in nine West Central Minnesota Public School Systems (Browns Valley, Chokio-Alberta, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, Cyrus, Hancock, Herman-Norcross, Morris Area, West Central Area, and Wheaton) and 2) collect system use data (individual and grouped student achievement results, hours used, service delivered, etc.) to measure the effectiveness of this new service delivery model. The data will be used to establish the effectiveness and possible future uses of Internet delivery of special education services. |
| Morris American Legion | Walter Trip Community Internet Center | The Walter Tripp American Legion Post 29 in Morris will become a community Internet center with public access computers, a community “Wi-Fi” hot spot and teleconferencing (large wide screen HD monitor, camera, etc.). The Walter Tripp Community Internet Center will be available to recognized community organizations at no cost for workshop and training purposes. The public access computers will be available during normal business hours and the Walter Tripp Community Internet Center will provide a location to “marshal” all of the community’s mobile learning labs (multiple lap top computers with their associated support equipment such as printers, etc.) when the need arises to have access to multiple computers. |
| Morris Area Chamber of Commerce | Chamber Service Improvements | The Morris Area Chamber of Commerce (MACC) will 1) add two computers and associated equipment to provide support for the Chamber’s existing communication/information system and 2) provide coordination between various communities through online collaboration. |
| Morris Area School District | Increase Broadband Service in Education | Provide wireless routers at various locations in the school building. Embracing rather than prohibiting individual student electronic devices enhances their learning experience. |
| Morris Area Community Education | Mobile Laptop Lab | Morris Area Community Education (MACE) will purchase 10 laptop computers and associated support equipment (storage unit, printer, etc.) for its and the Morris Area School System’s (MAS) use. These laptops will be available to recognized community organizations at no cost for workshop and training purposes, when not being used by MACE or MAS. Atomic Learning software will be included on some of the laptops for online training purposes for MACE and MAS staff and the public. |
| Morris HRA | HRA Website | The Morris Housing and Redevelopment Authority (MHRA) will establish a website for the City of Morris Public Housing Program that provides all Morris Public Housing Program documents (applications, etc.) and up-to-date guidance and educational information for past, current, and prospective public housing tenants and other interested parties. MHRA will also provide the public with computer access for the Morris Public Housing Program. |
| Morris HRA | Rental Housing Info | The Morris Housing and Redevelopment Authority (MHRA) will establish a website for the Morris Housing and Redevelopment Authority Rental Housing Licensing Program to provide up-to-date inspection results, guidance and educational information to past, current, and prospective tenants, landlords, and other interested parties. The website will also have online versions of all landlord/tenant Rental Housing Licensing Program documents (applications, etc.). MHRA will provide the public with computer access for the Morris Rental Housing Licensing Program. |
| Morris Public Library | Library Laptop Lab | The Morris Public Library will purchase six laptop computers and associated equipment for use within the library. When not being used by the Library, these laptops will be available to recognized community organizations at no cost for workshop and training purposes. Atomic Learning software will be included on the laptops for online training purposes. In addition, a space and resources within the library will be provided to create a business and career work center. |
| Resource Connections | County-wide Wireless Access Points | Resource Connections will permanently install at least one public access computer and one wireless router along with the associated software and support equipment for a community “wireless WI-FI hot spot” in each of the five incorporated cities of Stevens County. Resource Connections will provide a three-year Internet subscription to each of the five public access computers and wireless routers, which will be available to the general public at no cost. |
| Stevens County Historical Society | Digital Conversion | Stevens County Historical Society (SCHS) will become a globally-connected resource by providing its collections and records on its website, including cemetery records and the 20,000+ photo collection and digital images of artifacts and archives. Wireless routers will be installed in the upper and lower meeting spaces and the lecture space at the Museum and a public access computer station for web access and training for staff and public use. |
| Stevens Forward | Website Improvement Project | Stevens Forward will provide county-wide coordination involving public entity website development and updating throughout Stevens County. The websites will include at least one county government site, five city government sites, one chamber of commerce site, one county economic development organization site and one Resource Connections site. |
There’s a lot to take in but sometimes it’s also helpful to see what a community has done in the past, so we’ve gathered specific projects funded through the Blandin Foundation:
| Project Owner | Project Name | Description |
| Carlton County | Carlton County Robust Network Feasibility Study | Project support to conduct a feasibility study to understand options for improving broadband infrastructure and services within the county |
| City of Cloquet | Makerspace Hot Spots | Project support to provide Cloquet and Moose Lake libraries with makerspace equipment and training, and six mobile hot spots to provide home access for un- and underserved residents of the County |
| City of Moose Lake | Connect Moose Lake | Project support to expand the Moose Lake Community Digital Messaging System to other community entities enabling them to broadcast messages to the public |
| Cloquet Public Library | “Appy Life“ Library iPad Training project | Project support to provide mobile technology, Wi-Fi access and training to staff, county residents and visitors of the three Carlton County libraries |
| ISD 94 (Cloquet) | iPads for Lifelong Learning | Project support for technology training and resources for enrichment activities and parenting skills to pre-K students and their families |
| Moose Lake Community Schools | Rural Education Community Utilization Expansion | Project support to provide mobile devices to two rural school districts to increase educational attainment and to provide technology training through community education |
| Moose Lake Community Schools | School Bus Wi-Fi Hot Spots | Capital support to equip school activity busses with Wi-Fi to provide access for students to be able to work on homework assignments when travelling long distances |
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