July 21, 2001

Research Subcommittee
Committee on Science
U.S. House of Representatives


Re: Rural IT Networks

Thank you for taking the renewal of federal funding for information
technology networks into consideration.  I urge you to continue to
support the work of organizations such as the High Performance
Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN).  In the past
year, HPWREN has offered crucial assistance to Warner Unified, the
low-income, ethnically-diverse rural school district in which I
teach.  HPWRENs Hans-Werner Braun, Bud Hale and Kimberly Bruch
designed a low-cost, high-speed wireless internet connection for
one of our school sites and for our community resource center.
Most importantly, several of our high school students were able to
take part in the installation of the equipment.  These students
gained the satisfaction of providing a service to their community
and valuable experience working with high-tech equipment, and their
eyes were opened onto a whole new world of endeavors by the
opportunity to collaborate with world-class scientists and technicians.
We hope to expand the network soon into more isolated areas of the
school district, including the two Indian reservations which the
district serves.  In the meantime, students are becoming involved
in mapping, environmental assessment, and website development
projects that can only have positive impacts on the community.

Anyone who cares about the future of rural America - and who realizes
how tightly the fate of the countryside is tied to that of urban
and suburban America - will do well to consider the state of the
nations technological infrastructure in all areas.  Like that of
many rural school districts, Warners student enrollment is declining.
Access to high-quality information technology can provide economic
and educational tools to help keep students and their families in
rural areas, and to keep them thriving.  Technology does not have
to be a magnet that attracts rural youth to cities.  Used wisely,
with youth and other community members involved as full partners,
information technology can form a web of support to help sustain
our communities.  The staff of HPWREN has begun to show how us how
we might attain lofty goals, and I hope that you will continue to
provide funding for this organization and for similar groups around
the nation.

	

                     Very sincerely yours,



                     Jared Aldern
                     Community Education Coordinator
                     <jda26@cornell.edu> email