WARREN, Ark. – The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, announced the recipients of 31 grants totaling over $142,000 to support projects in communities served by NTCA members.
Southeast Arkansas Regional Library is pleased to announce Warren Branch Library as one of these grant recipients. Warren Branch Library received $5,000 to create a program for children by using AWE Early Literacy computers with interactive content and reliable technology to increase early literacy skills, partnered with South Arkansas Telephone Company Inc.
“The community grant program is particularly exciting because FRS multiplies the support NTCA members are already providing in their communities resulting in a larger impact for local schools and nonprofit organizations,” said Pam Becker, Executive Director of FRS. She continued, “In addition to contributions from this year’s 24 partnering NTCA companies, we are also grateful for extra support from Farm Credit East, CoBank and its funding of the Virtual Living Room program, Womble Bond Dickinson, and the Carri Bennet Rural Economic Development Grant Fund.”
“We are so honored at the Warren Branch Library to have been selected for and awarded this grant. This grant was awarded to libraries across the country and we were the only library awarded in Arkansas. We used our award to purchase an AWE Early Literacy computer for our youngest patrons. It has been placed in the children’s section of our library,” said Kandice Wever, Branch Manager/ Librarian of the Warren Branch Library. She added, “Without this award, this purchase would not have been possible. The purpose is to promote literacy skills to get our youngest patrons and early readers excited about reading. The new computer is touchscreen or can also be used with a computer mouse. It can be utilized in English, Spanish, or French. This is great because our area has a large Spanish speaking community. My favorite thing about the computer is that it is not connected to the internet, as all of the literacy programs are built right in. The new computer is interactive with games and activities to help promote literacy skills and is just really a lot of fun to use. We hope our young patrons of the library really enjoy it and we encourage parents/guardians to bring their children in to try it out.”
For a complete list of awardees, you can go to www.frs.org.
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The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and its members, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in rural America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. Through scholarships, grants, and a variety of educational programs, FRS focuses on educating rural youth, encouraging community development and introducing policymakers to challenges unique to rural communities. Visit us at www.frs.org. NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. In an era of transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.