Project Title:
NSU: Establishing a Smart Campus and Community (SmartCOM)
Funding Program:
Connecting Minority Communities Program
Project Purpose/Type:
Norfolk State University (NSU): Establishing a Smart Campus and Community (SmartCOM) aims to expand broadband access and connectivity on campus and provide subsidize broadband services for students, broaden remote instruction, workforce development, and adopt broadband internet services in anchor communities to decrease the lack of internet access, provide needed resources to the university, and improve economic challenges for members of the anchor communities.
City/Town/Service Area:
State(s):
-
$3,898,789.00Funding Amount$3,898,789.00Total Project Cost0.00Non-Federal Cost Share
The NSU: Establishing a Smart Campus and Community (SmartCOM) intends to conduct the following activities (1) increase broadband access to the NSU campus and the anchor communities through the Cox Communications Partnership by installing core fiber infrastructure to all buildings on campus, provide commercial bandwidth speed with fiber directly into business locations, and subsidize student broadband access; (2) create workforce development and experiential learning opportunities for NSU students through the recreation and reinforcement of existing partnership with Norfolk City School to prepare NSU and community students for STEM/IT/Cybersecurity careers; (3) partner with local churches for off-site training and digital inclusion programs for anchor community residents and eligible students to provide high-quality technical assistance for broadband internet access service, equipment distribution, an intensive individualized care management process for families and individuals to holistically address social, behavioral, and physical drivers impacting their health and self-sufficiency, and other technical assistance areas to aid anchor community businesses in stabilization and expansion; and (4) expand the NSU Innovation Center by using broadband to increase the training services offered to entrepreneurs and MBEs in the Norfolk area.
As a result of implementing the project, NSU will improve the broadband network and access to support its campus and anchor communities, workforce development and student experiential learning opportunities for local K-12 school district and independent schools, faith-based service center to offer digital inclusion programs, and the expansion of the NSU Innovation Center to increase access for training services for entrepreneurs and MBEs in the Norfolk area.
The NSU: Establishing a Smart Campus and Community (SmartCOM) will benefit the college, students, local MBEs, and residents in the community surrounding St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church. The project will increase workforce development through skills training and help decrease the digital divide through network expansion for students and residents.
Subrecipients consortium members are Cox Communications providing broadband service; SmarTech Nexus Foundation (501c3 and MBE) providing anchor community engagement; Sage Service Group (MBE) providing STEM education entrepreneurial support; SD Solutions LLC (MBE) providing project management support and broadband SME; and Tier One Two Aspire Leap Inc. (MBE) providing website, marketing, and technical support using skilled students.
The applicant does fund a consortium. The applicant’s activities do occur in the surrounding anchor communities. Details of community involvement are described below.