Getting%20Rural%20Virginia%20Connected:%20a%20Vision%20for%20Louisa%20County

1
Getting Rural Virginia Connected a Vision for
Louisa County

• An Initiative of the Technologies Opportunities
  Program (TOP)
• Prepared by
• Jon F. Johnson
• Extension Area Specialist
• Community Technology Development
• Contributions Connie S. Laws
• Extension Agent, Louisa County

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Getting Rural Virginia Connected -an Initiative
of the TOP Grant

• US Department of Commerce
• Virginia Cooperative Extension
• The Electronic Village of Virginia Tech and
  Blacksburg, Virginia (BEV)
• The contributions of nine rural counties across
  the Commonwealth

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The Community NetworkLEV the Louisa Electronic
Village

• Provide leaders and citizens with tools to help
  their community be a vibrant and more desirable
  place to live, work, and play
• Build capacities in communities to take control
  of and use technology effectively
• Improve local economic conditions while including
  citizens in the decision-making process
• Managed by the volunteers of the Louisa
  Technology Leadership Team (TLT)

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Features of LEV for Connecting the People of
Louisa County

• E-mail accounts and a list serve
• Discussion forums for online civic dialogue
• Interactive calendars
• Interactive directories for business, residents,
  civic groups, and the arts
• Educational workshops and ongoing training
• Virtual business incubator program for home-based
  and small businesses including web hosting and
  design assistance

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Possible Outcomes from LEV

• Increased attendance at public meetings
• Increased Internet use by citizens driving demand
  for better infrastructure
• A grassroots technology plan for Louisa County to
  address infrastructural needs for business and
  civic growth

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Possible Outcomes from LEV (2)

• Community network with continued local content
  management
• Continued utilization of technology and enhanced
  skills shared by all citizens for better trained
  workforce
• A wired community is more attractive to all
  business as technology becomes more prevalent

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Possible Outcomes from LEV (3)

• New home-based and small business start-ups
  selling through the Internet
• Greater capacity to receive other grants
• Planning for regional technology corridors
  linking multiple communities (i.e. e-corridors
  project)

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Why will citizens use the Louisa Electronic
Village?

• Grassroots initiative with countywide ownership
• Unbiased, objective, non-commercial,
  citizen-designed and volunteer-led venture
• Promotes community pride, citizenship and
  computer literacy
• Incorporates educational workshops and other
  on-going training for computer and
  infrastructural literacy

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Louisa Electronic Village (LEV)
http\\louisa.top.bev.net
Username louisa Password lpass
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Resources

• www.top.bev.net
• www.bev.net
• www.ecorridors.vt.edu

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Coming May 23, 2003!

• www.louisaelectronicvillage.net