It all began in a class at the University of Oregon in April 1973

My mind, heart, and soul were injected with an idea 49 years ago.

It was April 1973 at the University of Oregon. As a junior, I registered for “Introduction to Community Education”, taught by Larry Horyna.

Little did I know that class would change the trajectory of my education, profession, and life.

What grabbed me? Horyna taught that Community Education was founded on the two core principles of individual improvement and community development, as advocated by Charles Stewart Mott and Frank Manley in Flint, Michigan.

Beyond that foundation, Community Education stood on six pillars:

1. Lifelong learning (literally from the cradle to the grave);

2. Citizen engagement (every person had a right and a responsibility to make their community, state, and the world a better place);

3. Cooperation and coordination (public, private, and nonprofit organizations needed to work together, collaborate, and partner for the common good);

4. Assess community needs and address them with local to global resources (identify, tap, and use all human, physical, and financial resources to make the community better for everyone);

5. Maximum use of all public facilities and areas (in a typical community, public schools are only used one-third of the day by one-fifth of the population, yet represent the most expensive public facilities in the community); and

6. Community becomes the classroom (take students of all ages out into the community along with bringing all aspects and resources from the community into schools to support the learning process).

Simple, straightforward, and a little idealistic. Remember, it was the early 1970s.

Gained valuable experience applying the principles, processes, and programs of Community Education while serving three school districts and communities in Washington, Oregon, and Iowa. Moved to work in the private sector. Actively involved with nonprofit organizations and groups as a volunteer or consultant, too.

Fast forward to 1988 with “Education Utility” (conceived by Jack Taub). Established a lab with computers in each school used by students during the day and adults other times, 24x7x52. Adults pay rental fees for using hardware, software, and connectivity (metered like electricity).

Approached by Dr. Bill Pierce in 1993 to recruit and spearhead a team to develop a $20M proposal from Oregon as part of a national “Community Learning and Information Network” (CLIN) $100M master proposal to be submitted to federal Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). We formed an all-volunteer group and got to work developing a proposal for 30 demonstration sites around Oregon, and secured 90 letters of support from federal, state, and local officials, educators, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, students, grandparents, and others.

CLIN (Board of Directors was chaired by #LTGClarenceMcKnight (Ret.), #USArmy, who was the former head of #SignalCorps with 33,000 troops worldwide) submitted the combined national proposal to ARPA. After undergoing a rigorous and competitive review and evaluation process, it eventually landed on #PresidentClinton’s desk for signature. Unfortunately, it didn’t get signed due to politics between the White House and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Rather than let the disappointment of not receiving federal monies stop the momentum, energy, and interest, the Oregon CLIN team moved forward by planning and staging “Pioneer Paths: Oregon Trails…Global Information Superhighway, Community-Based Learning and Information Technologies: Planning for Oregon’s Future Workshop” on June 6, 1994 (50th anniversary of D Day) at George Fox College in Newberg.

More than 500 people from communities around the state participated in the day-long workshop. Welcomes were given by state and local public officials. America the Beautiful was sung by @MeganMahar. #AndyGrove, then #Intel CEO, was slated to give the keynote but had a last-minute conflict. #PatGelsinger, then CTO (and now Intel’s CEO) pinch-hit for him. Panels with experts on relevant topics of how technology and telecommunications could be utilized in schools and communities for people of all ages, plus exhibits of then state-of-the-art technologies were present.

It’s amazing to reflect on the changes in how technology and information have impacted our lives in the last almost 28 years, locally to globally.

Hardware, software, and connectivity work together.?Given the ‘tools’ at our fingertips, there are three technical and operational requirements for each individual: ?1) accessibility to them, 2) speed of data (1’s and 0’s) going from point A to point B, and 3) knowledge and skills to use them successfully.?Computers and software can work together well…but if they can’t connect to each other via networks...data moves too slowly…or the person lacks the know-how and ability to properly and effectively use them, it defeats their purpose.

Topping it off, with 7.9 billion people on earth, according to the United Nations, 37 percent have never used the Internet.?Or, if they have Internet access, they lack high-speed broadband.

Even in the U.S., according to a federal report, approximately 19 million Americans, including 14.5 million people in rural areas lack access to this service.

How can we bridge the ‘digital divide’ in the U.S.??Worldwide?

Some organizations are spending billions of dollars to launch and use satellites (e.g., #Starlink, #ProjectKuiper, #OneWeb, #Viasat, #HughesNet, #Iridium), but other less expensive alternatives (e.g., #Giga, co-sponsored by #UNICEF and #ITU) can help achieve ubiquitous communication for everybody, especially children and youth, too.?

Check out and follow what’s happening with #UBIQCommunications (a pre-funded startup company, #PioneeredInOregon last July) during the upcoming months and year.

Explore how you can help achieve #ubiquitouscommunications for everyone, #24x7x52, #locally to #globally.

You never know what's going to happen in a school or university, anywhere in the world, including #Eugene, #Oregon. #GoDucks!

It took a 'whole state' - #Oregon - and a number from other states - to plan, organize, promote, support, stage, and conduct this one-day workshop with teams participating from communities throughout, (small to large, rural to urban, east to west, north to south), in less than two months (without a budget or any staff members), including, among many individuals and organizations: @RobDill @DanKuzlik @GuyFaust @TomCook @DrArlenTieken @AnnPesola @MaryPuskus @SkipLiebertz @LinkShadley @RonSarazin @EdWarnock @LindaWarnock @GovBarbaraRoberts @PhilKiesling @RuthHewett @GenAlexBurgin @MeganBarnett @RalphShaw @RogerSpring @DonLindly @PatGelsinger @BobStenslund @RichardHowells @BillOHearn @MikeandBrendaDunbar @DrBillPierce @JeffJoseph @LTGMcKnight @JeffJoseph @SamWyman @VinceDeRego @JimCary @HollyFerguson @KellyBarton @RyanHansen @SarahStowell #GeorgeFoxCollege #LincolnCountySchoolDistrict #SalemKeizerPublicSchools #NewbergChamberofCommerce #Intel #GTE #RexHillWinery #NewbergGraphicTimes #ImageTelInternational #CLI #TheOregonian #UniversityofOregon #OregonStateUniversity #PortlandStateUniversity #NorthwestRegionalEducationServiceDistrict #OregonDepartmentofEducation #OregonMilitaryDepartment #OregonCommunityEducationAssociation, #CommunityLearningandInformationNetwork (#CLIN), USChamberofCommerce, #BoozAllenHamilton, and many more. Apologies to anyone unintentionally not mentioned.

#Oregon has pioneered many advances and improvements for people around our beautiful state, our country, and our planet. "#TheOregonWay", i.e., working and pulling together to overcome adversities, can and will "#BridgeTheDigitalDivide" that exists in our state, nation, and world.

We can and should aspire to #dreamBIG. And #bold. Every child, youth, and adult who lives in Oregon, along with every other nook and cranny in the 24 time zones circling the globe, ought to have access to the necessary technology, telecommunications, and other tools to learn, work, play, and socialize together - any time, anywhere, any device, any network.

We can, will, and must deliver ubiquitous communications to ensure all Oregonians, along with the additional 8.9B people worldwide today, and for future generations, too, possess the means and methods to equal, affordable, fast, and fair opportunities to communicate with each other, regardless of ability or location.

Communication is a basic human need. It is critical to not only survive but thrive in our fast-paced, digital world, today and tomorrow.