Camp Internet GATE

RAIN National Public Internet and
Community Technology Center

Produced by the Visible Light Distance Learning Consortium and HomePlanet.net

Haku Hola Hello

Organization Profile

What we do and Who funds the Projects

RAIN National Public Internet is the technology and education program of Visible Light, Inc., a California non-profit 501c3 educational communications corporation based in Santa Barbara, California.

Visible Light, founded in 1978, began the RAIN Community Internet project in 1991, working in cooperation with the University of California, Santa Barbara and the National Science Foundation. RAIN was one of the first public Internet access programs in the United States.

RAIN is now in its 14th year of service as a Public Internet Network.

As a non-profit Internet system RAIN represents an important alternative to large Corporate owned telecommunications and Internet Networks. Diversity in our choice of Internet Provider as well as our choice of Web sites is essential if the Internet is to continue growing and evolving.

The RAIN National Public Internet Network provides Internet access with an emphasis on ensuring that low income families, seniors and youth have equal access.

The roots of the RAIN Network are deeply woven into the soil of "Community Networking". One of the original purposes of the RAIN Network was to help Santa Barbara, California develop a bi-lingual Community Network. In the years since that beginning RAIN has helped begin "Community" level Internet programs and connectivity in 150 rural communities in California and the Southwest and Hawaii as well as helping start free Public Internet programs in Belize , Ghana, Costa Rica and Nepal. RAIN currently has classrooms taking part in the Network's Camp Internet classroom program from China, Nepal, England, Scotland, Germany and throughout the United States.

That field of "distance education" is very important to the RAIN Network. Since beginning work in 1991, the RAIN Network has provided free Internet and distance education scholarships to over 22,000 4th-12 grade school children in California and the Southwest. Over 5,000 Community Scholarships to Master Technology Families and Youth Technology Corps members have also been awarded. 450 schools in California have received 2 to 4 years scholarships to take part in distance education programming, receive free computer hardware and free Internet access.

The area of Community economic development the RAIN Network has provided hardware for Community Internet Centers, training for library, school and local government staff, and Internet access for 150 Rural Communities in California and the Southwest. These projects have received funding from the USDA Rural Utilities Service, the University of California and Santa Barbara Housing Authority, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense (for Electronic Commerce Center in Santa Barbara), Albertsons Corporation and the U.S.G.S. for GIS mapping.

In the area of Telemedicine and Community Wellness, the RAIN Network has provided free computer hardware, free Internet and free professional training for Doctors, Nurses and Community Health workers since 1997 through grants from the USDA Rural Utilities Service, the California Telemedicine and Telehealth Foundation (UC Davis), Albertsons Corporation (to fund a year of our mobile Internet training lab to visit senior centers, schools and shopping centers to carry our a Community Wellness and Nutrition education program, the National Science Foundation and the USGS (to support beginning development of GIS maps for Central California showing areas of recurrent health issues, high pollution in relation to housing and pesticide use. 12 Health Clinics which are part of the Community Health Centers of the Central Coast are part of our Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo telemedicine work. The Fire Department in New Cuyama has provided the location for a Telemedicine workstation in the New Cuyama community, and the Landon Pediatric Foundation in Ventura has served as the center for our work with Ventura County Health and other agencies in the Ventura and Oxnard area.

Here is a brief overview of recent activities:

Since 1997 RAIN has received:

6 USDA Rural Utilities Service distance learning and telemedicine grants, now serving 150 rural communities in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Hawaii.

A 4 year California Department of Education technology literacy grant serving 300 schools in California.

2 community development grants from the California Consumer Protection Foundation. The most current grant funds use of the RAIN Community Technology Center and Computer Lab for family and youth programs serving Native Americans, Hispanics and low-income families in the Santa Barbara County area. This program continues the development of RAIN's Youth Technology Corps program and Neighborhood Master Technology Family program (which is modeled after traditional American Master Gardener programs).

2 year GIS Metadata Clearinghouse grant from the U.S.G.S.

2 year Community Wellness grant from Albertsons Corporation

2 year Telemedicine grant from the California Telemedicine and Telehealth Center, U.C. Davis

2 AOL Rural Technology Awards

A Smithsonian Institution Technology Innovation Award

A Department of Defense ECRC contract to open an Electronic Commerce Resource Center in Central California for work with small businesses. .

RAIN operates a solar powered Internet bus which provides a mobile lab for families and seniors with limited mobility. Using satellite connectivity for the Internet and a small lab of computers in the bus, RAIN has established a next generation "bookmobile" serving our Central California region.

The RAIN Network Community Technology Center has been located at 1129 State Street, in Santa Barbara, California since 1994. The Community Technology Center provides residents, non-profit organizations, church groups and schools access to a 15 computer lab with high speed Internet and excellent teaching tools. The Center has been the site of RAIN's Department of Defense Electronic Commerce Resource Center, as well as a teaching lab for Camp Internet and RAIN's Telemedicine Program.

Camp Internet is RAIN's education program. Awarded the Smithsonian Institution's Technology Innovation Award for work in classrooms in California, Camp Internet has served over 22,000 4th-12th grade students and provides the core distance education content for RAIN's Rural Technology Projects.

Projects currently underway which have funding:

1) USDA Rural Utilities Service - distance learning & telemedicine grant cycles #5 and #6. Provides hardware, Internet connectivity, Camp Internet, Afterschool and ESL programs and training for participating teachers, doctors, nurses, teachers and community leaders in 155 rural communities in California, Hawaii and the Southwest.

2) Camp Internet distance education program - working with Los Angeles County Unified School District, providing full curriculum online with teacher training in professional technology skills training for 150 classrooms in the Los Angeles area.

3) USDA Rural Utilities Service - distance learning grant project with San Bernardino School District and three school districts in Hawaii, providing 4 years of curriculum, programs and teacher training for both mainland and Island schools.

4) California Consumer Protection Foundation - second grant to fund the Community Technology Center and Computer Lab for work with Native American, Hispanic and low-income families and youth in the Santa Barbara County area.

Projects which RAIN Network is seeking funding for to continue:

1) Community Health GIS mapping project. Funded by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of RAIN's GIS Metadata Clearinghouse which is providing a Central California online center for GIS mapping used in Telemedicine projects as well as in the Camp Internet curriculum for middle school and high school students to study GIS and data mapping. The Community Health map tracks pesticide use, car and bus exhaust and other pollution factors in relation to low-income and migrant housing. This data is tied to data on recurrent health issues in the same area. The GIS map also provides an immediate point of access for finding where 24 hour care facilities and hospitals are as well as where all participating clinics in our Rural Community projects are located and what the clinic or hospital resources are.

5) California Family Strengthening Project - working with USDA and School Districts participating with the Camp Internet distance education program, this new project sponsors Free Camp curriculum and Internet connectivity for low income families in California. Through a grant from Homeplanet.net, producer of Camp Internet, 250 free accounts for Families are provided each year. RAIN Network is matching the grant with an additional 250 free accounts making a total of 500 free education and Internet accounts for families in California during 2005-2006 and is looking for donors to match the scholarships with an additional 250 Internet accounts for low income families, seniors and youth.

6) Telemedicine Projects - supporting the Central Coast clinics, the Landon Pediatric Foundation and work at Ventura County Hospital, with 40 free accounts going to the seriously ill Children's Ward at Ventura County Hospital called "Dan's Room", a project RAIN has supported for over 4 years, providing Internet accounts for the children in the ward. Clinics in our Rural Communities as well as clinics in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo receive support from the RAIN Network. RAIN is seeking donors who can help fund the staff position needed to continue RAIN's telemedicine and community wellness work. $45,000 is our goal to keep the program running as normal.

7) Telemedicine Video Project - RAIN Network has created video archives of lectures and regular review sessions at Ventura Hospital by Dr. Chris Landon and other Physicians. This has established an online library of Video information for other health practitioners or community residents to refer to. RAIN is seeking a donor to fund the video staff position to continue this program. Goal is $36,000 to fund one year of video production for the telemedicine program working with the Landon Pediatric Foundation.