Lesson #1 in Increasing Internet Access and Use: It all comes down to community leadership

December 4, 2014 by Blandin Foundation Posted in Broadband, Rural Capacity Building

In today’s Council on Foundations blog post, Blandin Foundation’s Bernadine Joselyn makes the case for philanthropic support for increasing Internet access and use in the U.S. This is work that Blandin Foundation has been doing in rural Minnesota communities since 2003. Through the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities project and the current Blandin Broadband Communities program, we’ve planned with, and supported, nearly 30 communities on their journey to meet information technology goals and bridge digital divides.

In those twelve years, much learning has taken place – learning that can inform the work of others.

As Bernadine shares in the blog post, “while there never will be a single road map, we can help point out some of the short-cuts.”

Here is a boiled-down version of the Top Five Lessons Learned, shared on the COF blog:

5. Peers make great teachers.

4. Engage tomorrow’s leaders today.

3. Broadband is not an end in itself.

2. Have patience.

1. It all comes down to community leadership.

To dig deeper into the lessons learned, and see how broadband is playing a critical role in the health of communities, click here for the full Council on Foundations blog.

To follow the work broadband work happening in rural Minnesota, visit the Blandin on Broadband blog.