Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have awarded grants of $1,323,397 to Nevada institutions of higher education to support distance learning and pollution prevention.
“I’m glad to see Nevada’s system of higher education, including Western Nevada College, get funds to support distance learning. With so many students all over Nevada attending college at least in part virtually, this support for infrastructure upgrades is vital.
“I’m also pleased that WNC students will get to work with local businesses and manufacturers to reduce pollution, implementing best practices that will improve sustainability, reduce costs, and promote innovation. I will continue working in the Senate for funds to help all Nevada’s students realize their dreams.”
BACKGROUND:
The grants will be awarded as follows:
- $513,706 to the Nevada System of Higher Education to upgrade at 18 end-user sites in 12 counties in Nevada. All 18 sites will receive network equipment upgrades, and 17 will receive high-definition codecs that will allow video, audio, and interactive content collaboration. The project will provide rural residents with additional educational opportunities, addressing critical community needs through training, classes, and workshops that would otherwise be unavailable in these communities.
- $464,583 to the Western Nevada College for its Rural Remote Learning Project (WNC RRLP) to provide quality education to students located in WNC’s 18,000-square-mile rural service area. WNC seeks to update outdated video conferencing equipment in order to expand distance learning capabilities.
- $345,108 to Western Nevada College for a project to help food and beverage manufacturers and automobile repair businesses implement pollution prevention. WNC will use the grant to train 40 manufacturers on safer chemical alternatives, water reduction, energy efficiency, and environmental best practices. It will also recruit ten WNC college interns to conduct onsite visits and provide technical assistance to these manufacturers.
###