Initiative Aims To Make Sure Students Are Online

A national effort to make sure schools have the connectivitiy they need is underway.  On Tuesday, President Obama is announcing private funding support that will help millions of kids get online. 

The ConnectED program aims to prepare students to compete in our technologically advanced world. 

Indiana universities benefit from a resource called I-Light that provides a high-speed fiber optic network to member sites which are then able to share information as well. 

Chad Miller, director of systems and infrastructure at Butler University says some K-12 schools aren't quite as fortunate.

"Sometimes it's a lot harder when you get into the more rural counties because you don't have lots of options." explains Miller.

ConnectED calls on the FCC to modernize existing programs.  Other plans will help expland the broadband infrastructure to include more schools. 

The initiative hopes to link 99 percent of American students to the digital age within five years.