Rhea County has received $496,212 USDA Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant to improve education in the county.
The grant will allow the schools to offer distance-learning courses to other schools and allow local students to sit in on classes that their own school may not offer. The grant will be used to purchase video-conferencing equipment for each school and training material. The system will allow for classrooms not just in Tennessee to hook up, but also colleges can hook up as well. The grant will not only allow schools around the world to hook up, including places like Alaska, Iraq and China. In addition, students will be able to go on virtual field trips to museums and art galleries. Vanderbilt University, Roane State Community College, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Bryan College and Tennessee Technological University are interested in providing distance-learning courses to students.
