Generation West Virginia and the Benedum Foundation have teamed up with the Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (IREED) for a virtual lunch and learn discussion on December 16 at 12:00 PM.
This lunch and learn discussion is intended to provide local communities with technical and organizational resources that can help to develop local broadband projects and applications for federal funding. Additionally, there will be a discussion surrounding the types of support that is available, and how leaders can get started on projects to expand broadband access in their communities.
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College created the Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship and Economic Development to lead local and regional initiatives that impact Eastern’s entrepreneurship programs and community economic development. The IREED Potomac Highlands Creative Economy Initiative capitalizes on the region’s cultural, heritage, and natural assets by encouraging collaboration among businesses and others working in the creative economy. While Eastern has a service area of six counties, the efforts of the creative economy were expanded to encompass eight counties to conform with and meet the definition of the “Potomac Highlands” as defined by the WV Department of Tourism. As a result, the counties included in the scope of work include Hardy, Hampshire, Mineral, Grant, Pendleton, Tucker, Pocahontas, and Randolph.
“West Virginia ranks 47th among the 50 states for broadband connectivity. Without question, the Potomac Highlands suffers from this lack of connectivity limiting education, economic development, tourism, and business entrepreneurship, said Megan Webb, Dean of Advancement and Innovation and Eastern. Join this discussion to help the Potomac Highlands Communities develop projects for federal funding to expand broadband access. Help us change West Virginia from suffering from poor connectivity and better support education, economic development, tourism, and business entrepreneurship.”
Attendees must register in advance for the virtual lunch and learn discussion. After registering, a confirmation email containing information about joining the discussion will be sent.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqc-GrrDIiEtaCWeZ_4M40GBKAapOvBQxH
Further information and updates can be found on a Facebook Event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/196478298738801/
Eastern and IREED welcome anyone interested in creative economy to attend virtual Potomac Highlands Creative Economy meetings held on the 4th Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. For more information about the creative economy initiatives, contact Tina.Metzer@easternwv.edu.
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