Education, Outreach, & Training (EOT)

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EOT News: 2000

By Heather M. Rothman, CQ Staff
©2000 Congressional Quarterly Inc.

CQ BILLWATCH: HR3629

Sponsor: Green M. (R-WI)
Introduced: Feb. 10, 2000

Official Title: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the program for American Indian Tribal Colleges and Universities under part A of title III.
Signed into law by the president, HR3629 -- PL 106-211 amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to change the status of higher education programs for tribal colleges and universities.
According to sponsor Mark Green, R-Wis., this will simplify what critics call a cumbersome and expensive application process by putting all tribal colleges on equal ground in their capacity to prepare applications for grants. The bill refers to grants for American Indian, Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian colleges and universities.
HR3629 directs the Education secretary to ensure "maximum and equitable" distribution of funds.
It exempts tribal colleges from the two-year funding "wait-out" period required by the Higher Education Act. According to Green, this will ensure the opportunity for institutional development to tribal colleges.

CQ BillWatch Insight:

President Clinton signed HR3629 -- PL 106-211 on May 26, 2000.

The Senate cleared HR3629 by voice vote on May 18, 2000. The House passed the measure by voice vote on May 2, 2000. Its Education and the Workforce Committee approved the bill by voice vote April 12, 2000.

Source: CQ BillWatch Service
Providing summary and analysis of pending federal legislation.

Digital Divide News from the Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 17 May 2000

BROWN U. AND MCI WORLDCOM AWARD $5-MILLION FOR CHILDREN'S TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

Brown University and MCI WorldCom on Tuesday unveiled plans to provide a total of $5 million in grants to colleges and community learning centers, which will work together to teach local children technology skills. Each of the 20 college-community partnerships will receive about $40,000 annually, in addition to hardware and other resources. The project, suggested by Brown and funded by MCI WorldCom, aims to narrow the digital divide. Some of the partnerships will focus on sending college students and faculty members to inner-city schools and tribal reservations to help children learn about technology and the sciences.

Tribal College Internet Status

A summary of the Tribal Colleges capable of utilizing some sort of Distance Education technologies, as well as an updated Tribal College President's contact list.

Research: Native Digital Divide

Summarizes the various online reports here in the "Native American Distance Education Community' website and answers the question; "What are the obstacles to integrating technology for improving education into Native cultures?"

Dine' College becomes the "first" Tribal College to setup and utilize the Access Grid

President Clinton made a return trip to New Mexico for his third New Markets Tour – From Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity. The president's visit was on April 17th in Shiprock, NM. Mr.Clinton focused on the digital divide among minority and non-minority communities.
National Public Radio RealAudio Stream on the Digital Divide and Shiprock, NM

A "Digital Talking Circle" was being planned to show the Access Grid nodes in use at Dine' Colleges in Arizona and New Mexico on the Navajo Nation, but the whole College campus was closed off during the visit. The AHPCC was able to get a video feed approved to be multicasted out over the Grid. The feed was of the webcast between Dine' College and Lake Valley Navajo School.

Collaborative Grid Technologies in the Classroom

EOT PACI utilizes both the Alliance & NPACI Educational Technology Tools, to implement collaborative learning tools in the classroom. This Hands-on presentation is an in-service training for Dine' College Faculty in Tsaile, Az. on the Navajo Nation.

Indigenous Distance Education Institute

To form an Indigenous Distance Education Institute that provides the necessary integration, connectivity and dissemination of widely separated resources and programs among the Native American distance education community. Now each region, school, tribe, consortium acts on their own, and each has unique programs and resources that could be shared by others. We envision a common place or means by which all could share their unique resources.