U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. will deliver remarks at the Battelle for Kids/National Rural Education Association’s Rural Education National Forum and 108th NREA Convention and Research Symposium Thursday at Ohio State University in Columbus.
King will speak to rural education leaders from around the country about the Obama Administration’s work to promote opportunity for all students, especially those from rural communities.
The Obama Administration remains committed to serving rural communities across the nation to help overcome the challenges of distance and isolation and assist those areas in connecting with critical resources of all types. For instance, President Obama’s ConnectED initiative seeks to connect 99 percent of America’s students to high-speed internet by 2018.
Among other projects: Nearly one in five of the most recent Investing in Innovation (i3) grants went to rural areas. Those funds help create new and innovative models for education success. More than half of the $450 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College And Career Training grants that the Labor and Education Departments awarded were to rural community colleges. And, the Education Department’s 10 Regional Education Laboratories are required to allocate at least 25 percent of their funds for research in rural areas, including schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.