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Building Leaders
Communities in the Red River Watershed
face chronic water quality and quantity
issues. In addition, rural communities in the basin are experiencing
an exodus of their residents
to urban centers. Basin communities need informed leaders to deal
with difficult situations.
Students need to play a greater role as a resource and emerging
leader base. They have great
capacity to master IT, and are often among the most qualified in
rural and isolated communities
to assist with information technology challenges. Communities taking
advantage of these skills
and abilities will find value in students as resources, and not just
as recipients of education
services.
They will become engaged in learning that has purpose and meaning and offered
opportunities to gain experience, confidence, and the Secretaries
Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills (SCANS) skills (see supplementary document #9)
needed to become leaders in
and outside of their community (U. S. Dept. of Labor 1991).
Connections: The students, teachers and communities in the Red River
Watershed do not
recognize that they are connected to a 45,000 square mile
international watershed affecting two
countries, the United States and Canada; portions of three states,
Minnesota, North Dakota, and
South Dakota; and the province, Manitoba. This creates
communication/connection barriers.
Emerging classroom video-conferencing technology is used for
distance delivery of educational
courses in each state and province, yet it has not been connected
across the basin.
Prairie Public
Broadcasting Classroom Television (PPBCT) system is available
basin-wide but it has not been
purpose fully integrated across jurisdictional boundaries. The USCT
will utilize videoconferencing
technology and PPBCT to build bridges that connect across the
scientifically,
socially and culturally diverse watershed population. Motion video
will show real world
examples of scientific principles used in daily life and increases a
students interest in science
(Texas Learning Technology Group 1993).
The Digital Disconnect reports that 78% of todays middle and high
school students
use the Internet. These experienced students look upon the Internet
as a virtual study-group
and an important way to collaborate on project work with classmates
(Levin et. al. 2002). The
USCT project will connect students, teachers and citizens with the
scientists and current
technology employed in watershed science. Students will learn the
value of volunteering.
Schools will access a community resource and volunteers will gain
appreciation for the student
and their IT abilities.
Volunteers will be recruited to provide the
non-school adult link and
convey the value of service to communities. This connection will
help foster an understanding
of the interrelationship of water resources in our region, water
quality and quantity issues of
concern to all citizens, and the reality that many water issues have
an international impact.
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