Grant could bridge gap for urban residents
With a multi-million dollar federal grant in hand, officials hope the information superhighway might be the path toward increasing economic activity and quality of life for urban residents across the state. The university, in partnership with statewide institutions, including Jackson Community College and Lansing Community College as well as state and local government agencies, received a federal grant of about $5.2 million Tuesday to support communities and its residents in an attempt to increase the state’s broadband use. The award money will be distributed to cover the cost of people to teach classes, ensure each class can be offered to residents at minimal cost and to cover the cost of evaluating the potential increase in broadband adoption should the program become successful, said Kurt DeMaagd, an assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media. “It’s a nice fit into the overall MSU model — a community outreach and engagement process — (and also) a research project to understand what works and what doesn’t,” he said. The cities of Benton Harbor, Detroit, Flint, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Muskegon Heights, Pontiac and Saginaw — otherwise known as “Michigan’s Cities of Promise” — were chosen by Gov.