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Outline of Need:
The Pixley Union School District is in Central California's San Joaquin Valley, one of the state's richest agricultural areas. It is geographically isolated, with no industry, no infrastructure, inadequate public transportation, and few jobs available for the school and seasonal farm labor. Agricultural jobs' low, low wages, lack of industry, and the increased demand for a technologically literate workforce have created chronic levels of unemployment and poverty.
How Rural Development Helped:
Thanks to a $50,000 Community Facilities Economic Impact Initiative Grant from USDA Rural Development (learn more about this program), the Pixley Union School District was able to purchase wall-mounted televisions and VCRs with satellite and cable connections for all classrooms. They were also able to purchase 20 computer stations in their computer laboratory.
The Results:
The grant allowed Pixley Union School the resources to establish a comprehensive telecommunications system and significantly increased the availability and use of information and communications technology, leading to increased learning and high achievement in challenging content standards. The school is one of the only organizational units in town, and the community looks to the school for support. Providing students with technology will help them throughout their lives.
Plans are for the students to create, write and edit their own School Newscast which will be broadcast to each of the classrooms through the equipment made possible by USDA Rural Development.
Children from the Pixley Union School District are visited by State Director Paul Venosdel as they spend time on their new computers provided by USDA Rural Development.
(January 2005)
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