UGA Student Assists Community with Internet Access Questions

On November 13, 2012, University of Georgia Ph.D. student Lenie George met with representatives from Whitfield County Schools, Dalton Public Schools, and Georgia Northwestern Technical College to discuss how to enhance internet access in the community.  In many local schools, fewer than 50% of students have access to the internet at home.  Over the past eighteen months, local educators have struggled with how to provide equal educational experiences for students that incorporate technology when so few students have access to the internet outside of school. 

At the meeting, participants discussed the possibility of creating a mobile hotspot via a library-sponsored book mobile, opening up schools between the hours of 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm for neighborhood families to take advantage of services, creating privately- sponsored “hot zones” in high need areas, and partnering with the faith based community to open up satellite libraries and internet cafes in key locations.

Over the next several months, Lenie will research how other communities have tackled this problem and will generate research that enables smart, fiscally-sound solutions.