The Power of Vision

(above) Malikiah Neeley, a second grader at Sand Gap Elementary, uses Wi-Fi to keep up with his virtual assignments.

BY TINA V. BRYSON

Old Bub the Mule could not appreciate the impact his toil would have on the children of Appalachia as he worked to help lay fiber-optic cable to bring high-speed Internet to Eastern Kentucky. In 2014, Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) helped Jackson and Owsley Counties become the first counties in the state to be totally fiber-wired for broadband. That achievement opened the doors for children when the pandemic caused all students to rely on Internet access for remote learning.

“Marv and Peggy Johnson began donating to Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) more than 20 years ago. Recently, they wanted to give a gift that would support technology for children having to unexpectedly transition to remote learning due to the pandemic,” said Bridget McCormack-Finley, a CAP philanthropy officer. “They witnessed that struggle in their own communities and could imagine the challenges presented to families who may not have the resources to pivot so quickly. They were eager for part of their donation to be used to support technology and education.”

CAP decided to partner with PRTC to provide free Internet access to about 40 families for the school year. Camp AJ staff worked closely with Rhonda Thompson, the district technology coordinator with Jackson County Public Schools, and the district’s family resource centers to identify families who did not have Internet service and would be interested in signing up. Because CAP staff and school staff are so involved in the community, they were able to identify creative ways to contact these families, as many of them also did not have reliable phone service.

“Our children are our future and we are all about helping our community,” said PRTC CEO Keith Gabbard, a native of McKee, Kentucky. “When I was growing up, all we heard was what we didn’t have. I am blessed to have a job here in this community where children can grow up and go to college, and have jobs they can come back to.” PRTC has helped create 1,100 telework jobs over the last six years in the community.

— Bridget McCormack-Finley

“When learning shifted to a virtual format, the challenges presented to families without Internet service and their teachers were tremendous,” said Liz Phelps, manager of Camp AJ. The plan had been for teachers to upload lessons and resources to flash drives, then mail them or drop them off to students who didn’t have Internet service at home. “Needless to say, these students were falling behind quickly. In addition to not having access to virtual learning, these students were also cut off from social interactions with their classmates and teachers. We were all looking for creative ways to bridge the gap.”

Partnerships have a way of making unexpected connections. John Renner was a long-time volunteer and now maintains the grounds at Camp AJ. He also works for PRTC and was assigned all of the families who signed up to receive Internet services thanks to the generosity of the Johnsons and the partnership between CAP, PRTC, and Jackson County Public Schools.

“I am moved by the visionary leadership of PRTC and have shared their story with donors as evidence of the exciting and hopeful sign of possibilities and opportunities to come for Jackson and Owsley Counties,” McCormack-Finley said. “When the Johnsons called me out of the blue to offer their incredible gift in support of children in our communities, their generosity and thoughtfulness quite literally took my breath away. Thanks to the power of their suggestion, the creativity and passion of CAP staff, and the energy and enthusiasm of our amazing partners, an unexpected and extraordinary challenge was met with a new and exciting solution, and lives have been changed because of it.”

— Keith Gabbard