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Dear Member,
| Technology Grants Deadline |
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Don't forget to tell your
local schools about FRED's Technology Grant
Program, sponsored by RTFC. The grants
are available to schools who wish to update their
technology
and introduce new teaching methods to enhance the
learning process.
The grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 and a total
of $50,000 is available in 2009. Help your community
by letting local schools know about the program.
Send them this link to the brochure FRED's Technology
Grant. The 2009 application
deadline is September 14, 2009.
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| Scholarships Announced! |
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FRED is pleased to announce that it has awarded the
2009 scholarships. The lucky 59 students received
$72,500 in funding. This year, FRED matched the
amount given in 2008. The top applicant, Neil Turner
Nominated by Park Region Mutual Telephone
Company, received the Everette Kneece Return to
Rural America Scholarship for $5,000. This
scholarship honors Mr. Kneece's
essential and ground-breaking actions on behalf of
FRED. None of this would be possible without the
generous donations from OPASTCO's membership
during the year. Thank
you OPASTCO members and congratulations FRED
Scholars!
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| 3 Ethyl Grant Recipients Selected |
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The Ethyl Grant committee met last month to select
several Ethyl Grant recipients. Three companies were
selected to receive a total of $7,500 in funding. Laurel
Highland Telephone Company and Wahkiakum West
Telephone will use their grants for community
development projects while Otelco- Mid-Missouri will
use their funding for an education project.
Congratulations, recipients!
The Ethyl Grant program was created seven years ago
to help improve OPASTCO member communities. The
grants range from $250 to $2,500 and are sponsored
by Nortel
Networks and Bennet &
Bennet, PLLC. Applications are
accepted on a rolling basis year-round. Send in your
application today for consideration in the next round
of the review process in late summer.
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| Pre-order Comp & Benefits Survey |
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FRED is accepting early orders for the
2009 Small
Telecommunications Compensation & Benefits
Survey. The 2009 publication will
contain information on over 65 jobs and benefit
areas. Those who participated in the survey will
receive the
publication at a reduced price. Advanced orders are
being accepted and the reports will be mailed
in late June.
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| Dates to Remember |
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July 27, 2009 - FRED's 20th Birthday
Celebration
September 14, 2009 - Technology Grant
Applications Due
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The FRED 411 newsletter, a
monthly publication generated by the Foundation for
Rural Education and Development (FRED). As a
member of OPASTCO, you are receiving this
information to keep you up-to-date on programs and
services offered by FRED. All OPASTCO members
are
eligible to participate in FRED programs as part of
their membership dues. If you prefer not to receive
this information in the future, you may remove your
address at any time. If you have any questions
about the information listed in the FRED 411,
please click on the links or contact the
FRED Program Coordinator, at fred@opastco.org.
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Happy Birthday to FRED! |
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You are invited to share in FRED's 20th birthday
celebration
by attending the party in Colorado Springs
this summer. Come join FRED for a dessert buffet
and cocktail reception that will include birthday cake,
ice cream sundaes, a hosted bar, gourmet coffee
delights and party festivities. Don't miss the
opportunity to catch up with your
OPASTCO friends, do some business with new
clients or just simply relax with a cold drink and a
sweet treat!
As part of the
event, FRED will share photos and
stories about all
of our program recipients throughout the last two
decades. We are seeking updates from scholarship
winners and participants in the Leadership Through
Learning program. We also will share stories about
projects that were funded through other programs,
such as the Ethyl Grant program.
Providing an update
is very easy and can be done in a few minutes by
taking the Where Are They
Now
survey. The information compiled from
this survey will be used in FRED publications and
promoted at FRED's birthday event.
You can help FRED cover the costs of our birthday
celebration
by registering to sponsor part of the event in July. By
becoming a sponsor, you're creating more publicity for
your company at OPASTCO's convention, while
showing your support for FRED. You will also enable
FRED to put more of the funds raised towards its
programs.
Sponsorships are tax-deductible
and
available to both telco and
associate members of OPASTCO.
More About the FRED
Event
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