Marshall University Foundation
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Thursday, April 10, 2003
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153
Verizon announces $100,000 commitment to expand distance learning
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Verizon West Virginia President Gale Given today visited Marshall University to announce the company is committing $100,000 to the June Harless Center for Rural Education Research and Development at MU to expand distance education into rural schools in southern West Virginia.
Given joined Marshall President Dan Angel for a news conference this morning at Jenkins Hall on the Huntington campus to announce the grant.
The one-time grant of $100,000 will be used for professional development training as well as classroom instructional needs. This award follows a $150,000 two-year grant in 2001, which was used to establish the Center for Innovative Learning Strategies. The center delivers foreign language, science and math courses to West Virginia K-12 sites via interactive distance learning, and provides K-12 professional development opportunities and consulting.
“The June Harless Center has demonstrated time and again just how effective distance learning can be,” Given said. “Verizon’s latest grant will allow the center to use distance learning technologies to reach even further into rural areas and address a range of professional development and classroom instructional needs. We’re particularly pleased that our contribution will target those rural communities in southern West Virginia where the need is greatest.”
“Once again, Verizon is helping to maximize technology to improve the lives of West Virginians,” Angel said. “Marshall University could not ask for a better partner in its efforts to establish a national model for distance education.”
Verizon is a leader in West Virginia’s K-12/higher education interactive distance learning initiatives. The projects are designed to expand the number of West Virginia students prepared to pursue careers in information technology, enrich the educational content offerings for rural counties, offer an alternative to the existing intra-county distance education model, promote awareness between higher education and K-12, and increase access to cultural experiences for West Virginia students.
A photo from today’s news conference is available at www.marshall.edu/ucomm/muphotos.html.