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To: Rural Community Citizens and Leaders

From: Frank Odasz
           Lone Eagle Consulting, frank@lone-eagles.com

RE: It will be what rural Americans learn to actually DO with broadband that will determine
       their level of global competitiveness and benefits.
 

If your community is suffering from the sudden jump in oil and food prices, you might consider how intelligent use of local broadband can help your community adapt. Grant templates, online training and many online resources are offered without restriction, along with affordable community coaching and other services to help your rural community quickly leverage the entrepreneurial and other benefits of online access to the global information society and economy.

In recent years we’ve seen an explosion of billion dollar social media business success stories and at the same time confusion regarding the promise of broadband resulting in disappointing take-up rates in rural and Native communities. The economic decline continues and the need for a new form of community education and fast-track action plans is growing dramatically.

Today's "new economy" is knowledge-based, entrepreneurial, and globally competitive to an extent that was almost unimaginable even a decade ago. Education is the key to the 21st century, both in terms of economic prosperity and personal achievement.

Supplementing family incomes using Internet is becoming widespread though most rural citizens do not yet know where to go to learn how to do this. Being rural shouldn’t mean being unaware of best practices for using Internet for rural sustainability when it is so easy and cost effective to put online training and mentoring services, online. Online distance learning and mentoring opportunities are profound, cost effective, and desperately needed.

Please consider use of the Lone Eagle resources for training local trainers to quickly grow local socioeconomic capacity by helping all local businesses establish a free web site and identifying local expertise and mentors. Consider these fast-track methods for engaging your local youth in E-entrepreneurship programs to allow them to demonstrate their digital skills helping local businesses gain a web presence. Youth don’t have to become your community’s greatest export when anyone anywhere can learn to use the Internet to make the living they want, living wherever they want.

Rural community sustainability requires intelligent use of fast Internet connections for community wellness across the following nine essential areas; 1. Safety 2. Health 3. Education 4. Enterpreneurship/Ecommerce 6. Social Services 7. Culture 8.Government 9. Entertainment. At issue is identification of the broadband training best practices and smartest applications for each area.

The reality is that the widespread training of citizens need not be at all expensive, but it does depend on whether local leaders and the majority of citizens understand what is at stake, and that their direct participation in raising local awareness as to what’s possible to lower costs and supplement incomes is essential if the benefits are to be realized.  More at: http://lone-eagles.com/healthyvillage.htm 

Rural Community Economic Sustainability and Global Competitiveness
Share this online at:  http://lone-eagles.com/meda2008.htm  A Smart Community quiz, Ecommerce success stories, and resources shared at the Fall 2008 Montana Economic Development Conference.

Training Trainers, and Coaching Communities,

Frank Odasz
Lone Eagle Consulting
PH/Fax: 406 683 6270
Inquiries Welcome, informal free advice is available for the asking.

Free Resources:

All Lone Eagle Resources are online and meant to be shared without restriction: http://lone-eagles.com/future-proofing.htm

Community Vision articles:
 http://lone-eagles.com/smart.htm  Using Broadband to become a Smart Community

Rural Grant Templates
http://lone-eagles.com/rural-grant-templates.htm
Youth and community oriented models for local action without outside funding and articulated plans to win outside funding.

Youth Engagement Activities and Resources
http://lone-eagles.com/youth.htm http://lone-eagles.com/youthskills.htm

Online Training resources:
http://lone-eagles.com/ctcvista.htm
Graduate courses for educators, Ecommerce lessons for youth and adults, a Native American/Alaskan Native Cross-cultural Internet Guide.

Alaskan Resources: http://lone-eagles.com/afn-resources.htm http://lone-eagles.com/Alaskan-Stories.htm

Fee-based Services: Community Education Programs

On-site Multimedia presentations showcasing replicable rural innovations

On-Site Web-raisings – Everyone creates a free ecommerce site in less than one hour (using local computer labs)

Online Presentations and Training are the most cost effective options.
                Webinar “live” presentations via Internet with two-way audio
               
               Online courses and mentoring for educators, citizens, and youth.
                Use existing courses or consider customized online activities geared to
                motivate and engage your citizens.

Community coaching for locally driven initiatives to engage citizens in raising local awareness on I.T. opportunities

Grantwriting and whatever else you may need: Lone Eagle has voluntarily helped many organizations win grants to pay for programs.