Vol. 1     Issue 6     October 2000 Brought to you by RAIN and USDA RUS        
Today's Local Weather
for RAIN/USDA funded
Rural Network Communities
Casmalia

Nipomo

Oceano

New Cuyama

Guadalupe

Oak View

Piru

Shandon

Santa Barbara

Ventura

Buellton


Computer Loaner Program

T hrough a new partnership between RAIN and the Santa Barbara County Surplus office, computers are now available to loan out to interested community members in the communities of New Cuyama, Guadalupe, and Casmalia. If you would like to apply for a loaner computer as part of this program, send email to
rwright@rain.org


Smart Medical Appliances



Our new portable telemedicine stations are being scheduled for circulation throughout the Rural Network communities, and will be used not only to teach doctors the importance of telemedicine, but as health check-up stations during upcoming community wellness events.
Click here to find out more about Smart Medical Appliances!


New! Parents Wellness Web

Technology Master Family Program Applications Open!
Applications for Technology Master Family participation are now being accepted. Tech Master Families provide the neighborhood level center for the Rural Network program. Each family provides weekly classes in Internet use for neighbors. To help make this possible RAIN provides a grant to each family for a computer, printer and Internet access. Each family also receives training to help learn how to coordinate Neighborhood meetings to study the Internet and resources on the Rural Network web. For more information about this program and how you can take part, Click here!

DLT Expands!

USDA has approved new funding which will now enable RAIN to expand the California Rural Community Network services into the Mojave and Colorado deserts of southern and eastern California.

Teacher Technology Training
RAIN hosted it's third year of Teacher Technology training from August 7th-16th, with nearly 100 teachers in attendance. These teachers went through 4 day sessions which combined Field Trips, computer lab instruction, GIS for mapping and project management and instruction in the effective use of new tools for classroom, after school and library educators.



Among those in attendance were teachers from the rural DLT communities of Oak View, Nipomo, Guadalupe and Oceano. These rural teachers will be working together with teachers from all over Southern California, all teaching their students using RAIN's Camp Internet Program. Combining technology literacy education with literature, history, science and social studies, this exciting distance education program teaches youth the educational value and constructive use of the internet.

For more information about RAIN's Camp Internet Program, go to the website at:
www.rain.org/campinternet


Join your Community Technology Advisory Council!

The Technology Advisory Council for each DLT community works directly with the RAIN Network focusing project funds on the further development of health, education and technology resources for their community. Council members attend a bi-monthly meeting, representing the needs of community interest groups, and through discussion on community issues they form partnerships within the community which address their needs. Below is a list of the upcoming Advisory Council meetings - if you would like join the Council for your community call us at (800) 889-2823.

What is your community's Technology Advisory Council doing?


· Oceano - Wednesday September 27th at 3:30pm at the Oceano Senior Center

· Casmalia - Thursday September 28th at 4:30pm at the Hitching Post Restaurant in Casmalia

· Piru - Wednesday October 25th at 5pm at the Piru Library

· Shandon - Friday October 27th at 4pm at the Shandon High School Library

· Nipomo - Wednesday November 15th at 4pm at Dana School, room #32

· New Cuyama - Tuesday November 21st at 3:30pm at the New Cuyama Recreation Center

· Oak View - TBA, October

· Sespe - TBA, October

· Guadalupe - TBA, November
RAIN's California Rural Technology Network receives AOL Leadership Award



RAIN's Director, Timothy Tyndall, attended the annual Rural Technology Conference at the Aspen Institute in Aspen, Colorado. Serving as Moderator for two panels during the conference RAIN provided inportant resources for the National rural technology community.

The first panel covered the application of GIS currenly underway by RAIN for telemedicine, education and e-commerce projects.

Following that the Network provided a leadership role in reviewing and exploring techniques for Community level technology literacy training.

Along with serving as moderator on the panels Timothy received a special National Rural Technology Leadership award from AOL.











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