Entering the 21st century

Wow, another uplifting story about progress, this one closer to home. I heard this story on NPR this evening. In Greene County, NC they were having no luck luring a factory so they decided to skip the industrial revolution and go straight to the technological revolution by committing to getting internet access for everyone in the county. They got a grant to help finance it, and started by giving laptops to every student in grades 6 - 12. They replaced their dial-up access with broadband, and conducted computer classes for seniors right on down.

Among other results, in just five years, the percentage of HS students who apply to college went from 27% to 84% and the county dropped from 2nd in teen pregancies to 18th. I find this totally inspiring. At this link, you can listen to the 8 min story or read the transcript:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92529396

Isolated N.C. County Gets Wired
by Alex Spiegel
Listen Now [7 min 45 sec]

All Things Considered, July 14, 2008 · Living in a rural community is a larger impediment to Internet use than either race or class. The isolated rural community of Greene County, N.C., turned itself upside down to get its citizens online in five short years