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Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 05/23/2021

Publications and Resources

Combating Racism Advances Health Equity
In this article, HHS Office of Minority Health's Public Health Advisor Juliet Bui writes about how the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has experienced racism during the public health crisis. Not only are actions motivated by intolerance inherently wrong, but there is also evidence that suggests that they can affect the health and mental health of individuals and communities.

A Proclamation on Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month President Biden reminds us, “The American story as we know it would be impossible without the strength, contributions, and legacies of Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who have helped build and unite this country in each successive generation."

The Megaphone of Main Street: Unsung Entrepreneurs
This installment of SCORE’s publication focuses on unsung entrepreneurs as critical representatives of the current U.S. small business landscape.

4 Reasons to Value U.S. National Forests
The Pew Charitable Trusts offers key reasons to protect and value our National Forests to support the environment, heritage and the economy.

ERS: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Rural America
USDA offers information on how the pandemic is affecting rural America, including the spread of cases and trends in employment/unemployment among the U.S. metro and nonmetro populations and by ERS' county economic types.

Event Opportunities

Joint USDA & DOI Listening Session: Tribal Bison
June 1 | Virtual Listening Session
Join the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior for the first of a three-part series of listening sessions on Tribal Bison, co-sponsored by the Intertribal Buffalo Council.

Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s Annual Conference
June 1-2 | Virtual Conference
The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable hosts a virtual venue where stakeholders from federal agencies, businesses and non-profits come together to discuss the future of outdoor recreation.

Rural Workforce Innovation Network Workshop: Rural Health Industry
June 10 | Virtual Workshop
Representatives from USDA Rural Development and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will participate in a panel discussion to share resources to support rural employees and employers in the health care industry. Interested parties must register by Tuesday, June 8. Registrants will receive a calendar invitation with the Microsoft Teams link 24 hours ahead of the meeting's start time.

OneRD Guarantee Lender Feedback Forum
June 23 | Virtual Forum
Join USDA Rural Development for a feedback forum for lenders who have applied or are interested in applying to programs under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative. The forum will provide lenders the opportunity to share ideas on how USDA can improve the application process and servicing options under the initiative.

BroadbandUSDA Webinar Series: NTIA Broadband Grant Programs
National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) offers various workshops to discuss the three new broadband grant programs: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and The Connecting Minority Communities Program. Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grants Program

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grants Program

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

COVID-19 Recovery Resources

Quick Links to COVID-19 Recovery Resources

To access programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, download the COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide.

Visit www.coronavirus.gov for the latest news from the CDC on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Visit www.rd.usda.gov/coronavirus for the latest news from Rural Development on how we are helping our partners, customers, and stakeholders impacted by COVID-19.

Educational Opportunities, May 11, 2021

Publications and Resources

Sign Up to Receive Updates and Resources to Support the Recreation Economy
Subscribe to updates and resources from USDA Rural Development that can be used to support recreation economies in rural America. 

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Final Rule
USDA Rural Development removed provisions relating to guaranteed loans under the REAP program to enhance program delivery and customer service to support a greater distribution of funds and to clarify processing and servicing provisions. This rule is effective on July 26, 2021. Interested parties may submit comments at https://www.regulations.gov by June 28, 2021.

Solar Energy Resources for Job Seekers
U.S. Department of Energy offers solar workforce development resources to prepare workers for solar energy careers, advance their skills and educate them on the ways solar energy impacts their jobs. Learn more about how solar energy works, the DOE’s solar workforce development efforts and the Solar Energy Technologies Office.

Broadband in Rural America: Faster Speeds for Home and Healthcare
Rural Monitor provides research on how reliable broadband is essential for people to access telehealth and patient portals as well as work and study from home while rural and tribal areas still fall behind urban and suburban areas in deployment and speed.

Event Opportunities

A Discussion of Federal Resources on Addressing Anti-Asian Racism
May 11 | Webinar
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is hosting a conference to discuss programs available to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

SBA Chapter Celebrates Asian Pacific American Month
May 13 | Webinar
North Florida Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida offer this webinar to honor Asian and Asian Pacific American business leaders, hear their true stories and get their advice on how to build a successful business.

Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) Workshop: Rural Apprenticeship Programs
May 13 | Webinar
Representatives from USDA Rural Development, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Rural Water Association will participate in a panel discussion on how to develop and manage an apprenticeship program.

Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) Workshop: Entrepreneurship and Workforce Training Opportunities for Tribal Communities
May 19 | Webinar
Representatives from USDA Rural Development and the National Center for American Enterprise Development will share resources and funding opportunities that can help create entrepreneurship and workforce training programs for tribal members.

Meeting the Financial Services Needs of Native Americans: Native Bank On ONAC
May 20 | Webinar
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is hosting this webinar to offer strategies for reaching unbanked Native American households, which have the highest unbanked percentage of any population.

Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fair
May 26 | Virtual Conference
U.S. Department of Agriculture will showcase investments in reducing food loss and waste. This far will feature organizations such as the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions that are developing or marketing food loss and waste reducing technologies.

BroadbandUSA Webinar Series: NTIA Broadband Grant Programs
Various Dates | Webinar Series
National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) offers dedicated webinars covering their 3 new broadband grant programs: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and The Connecting Minority Communities Program. To learn a brief overview of each new program, view this previously recorded webinar on the NTIA YouTube channel. Transcripts and slides are available on BroadbandUSA website.

The Broadband Infrastructure Program

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

Money Smart for Small Business Town Hall
June 17 | Webinar
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation will showcase their Money Smart Program which provides education to help people of all ages enhance their financial skills and create positive small business banking relationships.

Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 4/22/2021

Publications and Resources

Blog: Sustainable Farming with Gotham Greens
Through a partnership with USDA, utilizing the Business and Industry Loan Guarantee, Gotham Greens was able to transform a portion of the site from steel to greens, building a sustainable greenhouse that utilizes machine learning and 100 percent renewable electricity.

Workshop in a Box: Sustainable Management of Rural and Small Systems Workshops
This tool created by USDA Rural Development and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contains a series of materials and instructions to help both rural and small systems and service providers market and conduct workshops based on the Guidebook. Watch the introduction.

Schools: The Next Step in Solving the Climate Crisis?
The Hechinger Report shared an piece by Laura A. Schifter, a senior fellow with the Aspen Institute and a lecturer at the Harvard, who makes a case to support eco-friendly infrastructure and transportation investments in America’s schools to help accelerate the transition to a clean economy and therefore empower youth to access green jobs and advance a more sustainable economy.

Great American Outdoors Act and U.S. Forest Service
The Great American Outdoors Act  gave the USDA Forest Service new opportunities to deliver benefits to the American public through major investments in recreation infrastructure, public lands access, and land and water conservation. It also provides permanent full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and establishes a new National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund.

Tool Finder for Local Government Clean Energy Initiatives
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency resource can help you navigate available tools and resources for measuring emissions, energy, and economic impacts of energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, and waste programs in your government operations and communities.

Event Opportunities

IN CONVERSATION WITH USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, Justin Maxson
April 28 | Virtual Event
The Rural America Chamber of Commerce and a national member-based, non-profit organization will hold a conversation with USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson on USDA’s priorities and his perspectives regarding critical policy issues affecting rural Americans today.

2021 DOE Tribal Energy Webinar Series: Planning for a Changing Climate
April 28 | Webinar
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy is continuing its monthly tribal energy webinar series in 2021 to share information, tools, resources and potential funding opportunities. This year’s series will focus on how tribal energy projects can improve community resilience, foster economic development and support environmental stewardship.

Federal Utility Partnership Working Group Seminars 
May 5-6 | Virtual Meeting
Join DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy as they provide a venue for information exchange and training that fosters effective partnerships between federal agencies and their serving utilities. Participants will learn how to leverage private-sector investment in federal facility infrastructure to improve energy and water efficiency, install renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Tele-town Hall: Understanding EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule and Financing Opportunities
May 12 | Virtual Meeting
Join the National League of Cities and the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative to dig deeper into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's revision to the Lead and Copper Rule published in the Federal Register Jan. 15, 2021. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about rule requirements, share best practices among peers, learn about funding and financing opportunities for lead service line replacement, ask questions of experts and obtain other critical information necessary to set your city on the path toward compliance.

Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) Workshop: Rural Apprenticeship Programs
May 13 | Webinar
Join USDA Rural Development and members of the Rural Workforce Innovation Network (RWIN) for the next workshop of a monthly series. In this workshop, representatives from USDA Rural Development, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Rural Water Association will participate in a panel discussion to share resources and recommendations on how to develop and manage an apprenticeship program.

BroadbandUSA Webinar Series: NTIA Broadband Grant Programs
Various Dates | Webinar Series
National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) offers dedicated webinars covering their 3 new broadband grant programs: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and The Connecting Minority Communities Program. To learn a brief overview of each new program, view this previously recorded webinar on the NTIA YouTube channel. Transcripts and slides are available on BroadbandUSA website.

The Broadband Infrastructure Program

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 04/06/2021

Publications and Resources

USDA Smart Utilities Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rural Development offers entities an opportunity to use up to 10 percent of a loan, grant or loan guarantee to build, improve or acquire rural broadband facilities and equipment in areas not served by a minimum acceptable level of broadband service which is 25 megabits downstream and 3 megabits upstream for both mobile and fixed service. This final rule is authorized by Section 6210 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (The 2018 Farm Bill). See additional information in the Federal Register.

Conservation Technical Assistance Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service works with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to help them boost agricultural productivity and protect our natural resources. Landowners can apply to participate in programs that provide technical guidance and financial assistance that support conservation and that may include the use of technology equipment for connectivity and broadband.

U.S. Forest Service Special Use Permits
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The U.S. Forest Service (FS) receives thousands of individual and business applications for authorization for use yearly on FS land for such activities as water transmission, agriculture, outfitting and guiding, recreation, telecommunication, research, photography and video productions, and granting road and utility rights-of-ways. FS lands contribute to our Nation’s telecommunications needs by authorizing uses that provide critical services to rural communities.

DOE Announces Goal to Cut Solar Costs by More than Half by 2030
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
DOE announced a new target to cut the cost of solar energy by 60 percent within the next ten years and offers over $120 million in funding opportunities to lower costs, improve performance and speed the deployment of solar energy technologies. Learn more on the current and new funding streams.

The Digital Divide: What Is It, Where Is It, and Federal Assistance Programs
Congressional Research Service
This report on the Digital Divide in the United States was updated on March 9, 2021, and describes the availability of broadband by state and across urban, rural, and tribal areas.

Event Opportunities

Building a Resilient Community Using Distributed Energy Resources
April 7-8 | Virtual Workshop
U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office offers this opportunity for participants to learn how solar energy and distributed energy resources can contribute to resilient communities and to discuss key areas for future research and development.

Main Street Now: Renew Recharge Reimagine Conference
April 12-14 | Virtual Conference
Main Street America offers a three day conference filled with immersive online content and networking opportunities providing attendees the opportunity to reflect on how the events of the past year have changed our work and how we can rebuild stronger, more equitable Main Streets for the future. 

ReConnect Regulation Webinar
April 14 | Webinar
USDA Rural Development is hosting this webinar to help stakeholders learn more about the ReConnect Program and a final rule that USDA is seeking comments on to help expand broadband access in Rural America.

BroadbandUSA Webinar Series: NTIA Broadband Grant Programs
Various Dates | Webinar Series
National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) offers dedicated webinars covering their 3 new broadband grant programs: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and The Connecting Minority Communities Program. To learn a brief overview of each new program, view this previously recorded webinar on the NTIA YouTube channel. Transcripts and slides are available on BroadbandUSA website.

Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grants Program

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grants Program

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

Rural Assembly Everywhere: The Road to Repair
April 20-21 | Virtual Conference
The Rural Assembly offers an opportunity for participants to connect and learn with rural experts, leaders and culture-bearers.

More Articles ...

  1. Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 03/16/2021
  2. Innovation Matters Educational Opportunities, March 1, 2021
  3. Educational Opportunities, February 17, 2021
  4. Innovation Matters Education Opportunities 02/04/2021

  

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