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Use of social networking technology by rural youths is focus of research

By Rachael Zylstra

High school and 4-H students in four rural Michigan communities are infusing their hometowns with technology and innovation.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded MSU a grant to facilitate the research of how rural youths in Michigan use technology to utilize opportunities within their communities.

Whitten

“Technology can help advance knowledge whether you are on a farm in the U.P. or in a major metropolitan city,” said Pamela Whitten, professor of telecommunication, information studies and media, at MSU and one of the primary investigators of the project. “We want to see how the youth of these rural communities transform their own lives with some tools they already have and some new tech tools, too.”

The grant allows the opportunity to discover how technology can provide unique resources to interact and create links within a community. A team of six faculty members from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences designed Web-based social networking technology classes to be taught to more than 100 junior and senior students at Fairview High School in Oscoda County, Traverse City West High School in Grand Traverse County and Ishpeming High School in the Upper Peninsula. In addition, the youth 4-H program in Ottawa County will participate in similar classes.

“Our students are showing a lot of initiative, and it has opened some of their eyes to the possibilities within our community and region,” said Brian Sarvello, principal at Ishpeming High School. “I know our students appreciate the opportunity to help their community and especially other teens.”

High school and 4-H program instructors are teaching the classes on-site, and MSU student volunteers are acting as teaching assistants to the high school instructors.

“Our basic goal is to increase the feeling of connection rural youth have with their home communities,” said Cliff Lampe, assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and media. “We want technology to be in the background and want the students’ stories to become the foreground for what the project is about.”

The grant also provides tuition to each high school participant so college credit can be earned while taking the class.