July 16, 2025 • 16 mins
Have you held a rural digital equity summit for your community? Hear how Kanokla teamed up with AmeriCorps to identify local technology needs and work together to meet them!
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Episode Transcript
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Intro:
A production of Pioneer Utility Resources. (00:05):
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StoryConnect, helping communicators discover ideas to shape their stories and connect with their customers.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Beyond Bridges (00:16):
how can rural communities close the technology gap?
That's what we'll be talking about on this episode of The StoryConnect Podcast.
Hi, I'm your host, Megan McKoy-Noe, one of the storytellers here at Pioneer Utility Resources.
And I am joined by Erma Ratliff, community engagement and events coordinator at Kanokla in Kansas.
(00:37):
Erma, thank you so much for joining us today.
Erma Ratliff: Thank you for having me, Megan. I'm excited to be here. (00:40):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: Well, and this is the second time that we have had you on. (00:43):
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When we had you on the podcast earlier to talk about Kanokla cash,
I heard about your Rural Digital Equity Summit, so we had to have you back because this is an amazing topic.
Now, Erma, you co-hosted Beyond the Bridge, a rural digital equity summit with AmeriCorps in south central
(01:04):
Kansas. Tell us about this idea behind this community conversation that you had.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. So I attended a digital equity summit in Wichita, Kansas, and it was bigger, (01:10):
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talking about more urban aspects of digital equity.
A nd while I was there, I started networking with different people, and I was like, how can we bring this to more rural
settings to help us people who live in rural America?
So I met Rachel Couch there from AmeriCorps, and she's actually doing a work study there with Workforce of
(01:32):
Alliance in Winfield, Kansas, helping people with digital skills.
So we met multiple times, and then decided to do this Rural Digital Equity summit.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I love it. Now the event, it was marketed as a way to improve digital skills, (01:41):
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secure, affordable internet access, which I think we can all agree is important.
And it's one of the reasons that y'all are shining right now in Kansas,
and to help foster inclusive growth for all.
What are the biggest gaps that you've seen keeping people in rural areas from having access to technology?
Erma Ratliff: I think one of the biggest gaps is that some of these people that we are serving, they're 1 to 2 miles away from their neighbors. (02:06):
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So how do we close that gap of bringing them broadband out to their farms to be able to communicate with the rest of the
country? So I think that's the biggest gap is making sure that we have everyone connected.
Megan McKoy-Noe: So just getting the infrastructure out there first and foremost. (02:24):
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All right. Broadband providers, including telcos and electric co-ops,
are working really hard to extend internet access and get that network in place for folks.
W hat else can utilities do to really help improve digital equity in the communities that we're serving?
Erma Ratliff: I know some things that we have done here at Kanokla, we have done lunch and learns. (02:47):
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We have also partnered with the local community college to do bits and bites.
We did different tech talks for everyone.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Wait, wait. Bits and bites. Is this with food? (02:57):
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Erma Ratliff: Yes. So each week we had a – (03:01):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: Of course, it is. Yes (03:02):
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Erma Ratliff: different bit about technology with different bites of food. (03:02):
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And we partnered with the local community college to do that.
And it was really just basic classes, like the basics of how to use your Android and iPhones.
There's a lot of people who have phones, but they don't know how to use them. So doing that digital
literacy education part of that, and we also had cybersecurity awareness.
(03:23):
And the instructor actually he's not from this area, so he didn't know any people in the class.
So he just picked a random person from the class and was able to tell her based off her Facebook,
like how many kids she had, where she lived, where she went to school,
and just all this different information that shouldn't be out there.
But she didn't realize it.
Megan McKoy-Noe: And she ran away from the class screaming in horror. (03:40):
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Erma Ratliff: I know she was like – anyway, she came back. (03:42):
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She was thankful that we helped her set her Facebook to private.
But just to give people those tools of how to protect themselves.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah, cybersecurity. I know October is cybersecurity month, but a lot of utilities are really trying to use (03:51):
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safety as one of the values that we provide, helping to watch out for their connections,
helping educate them on that. Because you're right, people just don't think about it all the time.
And that goes for staff too. At utilities, a lot of folks are learning that even if
(04:16):
you just have your personal page, if you say you work at, let's say,
Kanokla and maybe you post something that other people find offensive,
like maybe it's a dead animal that you found when you were working on a fiber install.
S ome of that backlash can come back at the utility, but closing it so that it's not public is such a simple thing to
(04:37):
do, b ut people just don't think about it all the time.
So I like that you're working on that education, how to be smart,
bits and bites. It's almost, I mean, is that lunches as well?
You said you did luncheons, but is it sounds more like snacks.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, so we did some lunch and learns, but then this bits and bites was a different type of class that (04:56):
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we offered. Yeah, that was usually in the morning time.
We did like a little brunch kind of food.
So yeah.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I like that. So let's get back to the summit because that's something that I haven't heard of a lot of other folks (05:07):
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doing. And I think it's a really powerful way that you're helping your community.
Speakers at the summit included a local nonprofit founder, a city technology director,
and other stakeholders from south central Kansas and northern Oklahoma.
(05:29):
So you spread across state lines, which I thought was kind of fun.
Who are your key audiences for the summit?
Erma Ratliff: And a lot of our key audience was like different nonprofit organizations. (05:36):
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Some of their board members came.
We had community members, city government, bankers, school members,
just different people who all could help us address the digital divide in our communities.
And that's why whenever we had speakers, we brought people from different backgrounds. We had someone from
a tribal background like you, said the city technology director.
(05:59):
Now there's more people who are in city government, cities who are getting broadband as a utility.
So we're starting to see more of that. So it's good to have his perspective, since that is around our area of how people are
tackling the broadband.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I love that. How many people attended your summit and share a little bit about the kind of conversations that (06:14):
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you overheard?
Erma Ratliff: Okay. We had around 75 people attend the summit, which was great because again, (06:23):
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we're a rural community. We hosted it here at Kanokla at our upstairs downtown event space,
which is something new we have in our area.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I read about this. (06:35):
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Erma Ratliff: Yes. And with this, having this for the first time, it was great. (06:36):
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It made people feel uncomfortable sometimes because we did different round tables.
Okay. What are you doing to help your community?
Okay, well, if you're not doing that, how can you help your community? Just brought it back to like how
we can all come together and help.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Well, what are some of the things that are making people uncomfortable that they still need to address and talk about? (06:55):
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Erma Ratliff: I think some of the things are okay. So what are you doing in your community? Well, I'm not doing that. Well, why are you not? (07:02):
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Are you having, is it different maybe city government not helping you with that or is it,
I don't know, just different things I should say.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah, well, and maybe folks didn't realize what other folks, what other areas, (07:16):
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are doing and felt I'm picking up maybe they felt kind of not ashamed,
but like, "Oh, we should be doing that." And maybe embarrassed.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, (07:29):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: That they're not doing more. So getting folks together from all different areas of the community to talk about this, (07:30):
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you mentioned that one of the biggest challenges is just getting fiber,
getting broadband to homes in rural America.
And I agree, that's been a challenge, that it's been amazing to watch so many people band together
(07:53):
to help close that gap. But what other gaps did you hear?
And, what are the solutions that some people are using?
I know you mentioned the education component, the bits and bites and the lunches that your telco is using,
but what other problems are there and solutions are folks finding?
Erma Ratliff: So even like with ACP going around, people being able to afford broadband is really something big. (08:17):
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Like how can we as broadband providers have lower cost packages for people who need the help?
And then also with digital devices, how do we educate the people on how to use the digital devices
for telehealth for different meetings?
Kind of like this podcast. If I didn't know how to sign into my computer,
(08:38):
how would I be able to learn how to do that?
So when we met, we were like, who from this group organizations all here who could come together and help put on these different
classes?
Megan McKoy-Noe: So you're talking about how to use technology for telehealth. (08:48):
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Did you have someone from a local hospital in the room talking about ways that they can educate folks in that area?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. So we did have someone from the Health Foundation, which was great. (09:00):
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And we also had different people from Caldwell.
And here in Caldwell, we actually just had a new hospital built about a year or two years ago.
So how they are doing more telehealth with their patients?
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. Yeah. (09:14):
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Erma Ratliff: And how to help people with that. (09:15):
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So yeah, we can offer it. But if they don't know how to use it, then it's really kind of pointless.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. We keep telling folks the benefits of all of this, you know, (09:23):
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of being connected. But if you don't know how to connect in the first place, it doesn't matter if you're able to offer them
access to the internet if they don't know how to use it.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. (09:37):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: So what are the next steps coming out of the summit? (09:38):
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I mean, you've identified challenges and some people are doing better than others.
What's next?
Erma Ratliff: I think the next step for us is to look at some of the programs that are offered in our state, (09:50):
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in Kansas and Oklahoma. There's obviously the BEAD grant coming out in both states,
which are huge. And how do we help use those BEAD grants to get to those people who are underserved and things
like that. And then also just networking.
(10:11):
So with the people that we met at the conference, and how can we just not take what we learned that day,
but actually take it into action into our communities?
Megan McKoy-Noe: Do you have a way to follow up? Like, I know for communicators, there's like a listserv that I've been (10:20):
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on for, good lord, maybe 20 years.
And that's how I just put ideas out and stay connected with people, even if I don't see them every day.
Is there now an email chain or regular meetings where these different stakeholders are staying in touch with each other and
(10:43):
sharing education ideas and examples of what they're doing?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. So we kind of have like we're on LinkedIn and Facebook so people can go on there if they have questions and things like (10:47):
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that to reach out to us all. And then also, we hope to keep continuing this digital equity summit to be other
parts of south central Kansas. So maybe next time, it will be another town like Greensburg,
Kansas had a tornado go through there probably about a while ago,
10-1 5 years ago. But how they all went green and how broadband helped them come back.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Oh, so finding other stories, success stories, across the state and then bringing stakeholders there to learn (11:08):
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from them, and then build those networks.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. (11:21):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: So to speak. I love the different meanings of networks there. (11:22):
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S ome of these things hit me sometimes, Erma.
I get excited. So I love that. And I can't wait to hear about how that grows.
If you come up with any educational materials outside of what you're already doing with bits and bites,
and we'll include that at pioneer.coop/podcasts, so to make sure people can see more about the amazing work that
(11:47):
y'all are doing to help folks understand technology and how to use it to have a better life.
B ut if you have other examples, especially telehealth, I think would be a really fun one f or you
to partner with the, you know, local health systems about how to use it for telehealth.
And, I haven't seen someone do that before, so those are some really cool ideas.
(12:09):
But please let us know so that we can share those with other folks.
I would say this is not the first time that Kanokla has worked to improve digital equity in your
community. I was excited. I before we do podcasts, I always tend to do a little bit of research to find out
more about the folks coming on in your stories.
(12:32):
So can you tell me a little bit about the technology summer camp for middle schoolers that Kanokla co-hosts with
Cowley College?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, about six years ago, we started doing tech camps. (12:41):
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It's usually about a week long in the summer, 5th through 9th grade students come.
This year we had about 45 to 50 students, which is pretty big.
It's grown. This year, we actually did different stations.
We had a computer design station.
We had a learn how to take apart computers and put them back together.
(13:04):
We had coding station. We had someone, we actually had an internship program here at Kanokla.
Our old intern is now at University of Kansas, and she came down and taught how to do AI with robotics cars and
how to use drones. And anyway, it's really great thing to have for kids just to get a little intro into all the different ways
technology can help you in different career paths you could take.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Ah, that is so exciting! Now when I was looking at the page, I love that it's 5th through 9th grade so that kids can (13:27):
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really form a relationship with you. They can come back year after year if they like.
I think it's from 9 a.m. to noon every day.
Is it for a full week, they're able to spend with you?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, it's usually Tuesday through Friday, and the last day we usually have a pizza party and a gaming (13:46):
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competition, and they get free shirts.
And it's just usually a fun time.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. No, it sounds amazing. And they spend that time learning to design code, (13:54):
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game together, as you said. Why do programs like this matter?
Erma Ratliff: It matters just to get people, to get students into the technology world. (14:04):
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Obviously, with broadband and other industries moving more towards tech,
we're going to need more workers.
So to get them an intro and to be like, "Hey, I might like video game design." Or "Hey,
I might like coding, and these are the different jobs I could do with that."
Megan McKoy-Noe: I love that. And also, I think it kind of lets them know that you're on their side as well, (14:23):
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which is pretty darn cool too. So one last question before I let you go.
If utility pioneers want to improve digital equity in their community,
where should they start? What's the first step that they should take?
Erma Ratliff: I think one of the first steps is to look at their own business, to see like, (14:42):
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hey, what can we do to help out? And then maybe reach out to the local library and see what they can do as well.
Get some more community partners and stakeholders involved to see what everyone can do together.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. I remember when I worked at GreyStone Power way back at the beginning of my career. (14:55):
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One of the things we didn't realize people needed was a basic, like an outline,
a one-page "how to sign up for electricity," right?
And I would give that to kids. We had kids who weren't going to college,
(15:16):
and the the high school would bring them in, and they would learn about power and how to sign up for it.
I think now that's what people are doing for, you know, signing up for fiber,
for broadband, how to use it. Just handy tips so that they can understand how to use your service.
(15:37):
There's a need out there, and we are so – we live it and breathe it.
We're just so immersed in it. We don't always think about the –
Erma Ratliff: Basics of it. (15:46):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. The basics. We forget the basics. (15:47):
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And I think that's one of the gaps out there too.
S o I can't wait to see how you guys continue to close that gap and help your entire
community come together to better serve and educate everyone in your community.
It is very exciting. Thank you so much for sharing your story with utility pioneers.
(16:11):
She is Erma Ratliff at Kanokla in Kansas, and I'm your host, Megan McKoy-Noe at Pioneer Utility Resources.
And until we talk again, keep telling your story.
Outro: StoryConnect is produced by Pioneer Utility Resources, a communications cooperative that is built to share your story. (16:22):
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StoryConnect, helping communicators discover ideas to shape their stories and connect with their customers.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Beyond Bridges (00:16):
how can rural communities close the technology gap?
That's what we'll be talking about on this episode of The StoryConnect Podcast.
Hi, I'm your host, Megan McKoy-Noe, one of the storytellers here at Pioneer Utility Resources.
And I am joined by Erma Ratliff, community engagement and events coordinator at Kanokla in Kansas.
(00:37):
Erma, thank you so much for joining us today.
Erma Ratliff: Thank you for having me, Megan. I'm excited to be here. (00:40):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: Well, and this is the second time that we have had you on. (00:43):
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When we had you on the podcast earlier to talk about Kanokla cash,
I heard about your Rural Digital Equity Summit, so we had to have you back because this is an amazing topic.
Now, Erma, you co-hosted Beyond the Bridge, a rural digital equity summit with AmeriCorps in south central
(01:04):
Kansas. Tell us about this idea behind this community conversation that you had.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. So I attended a digital equity summit in Wichita, Kansas, and it was bigger, (01:10):
undefined
talking about more urban aspects of digital equity.
A nd while I was there, I started networking with different people, and I was like, how can we bring this to more rural
settings to help us people who live in rural America?
So I met Rachel Couch there from AmeriCorps, and she's actually doing a work study there with Workforce of
(01:32):
Alliance in Winfield, Kansas, helping people with digital skills.
So we met multiple times, and then decided to do this Rural Digital Equity summit.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I love it. Now the event, it was marketed as a way to improve digital skills, (01:41):
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secure, affordable internet access, which I think we can all agree is important.
And it's one of the reasons that y'all are shining right now in Kansas,
and to help foster inclusive growth for all.
What are the biggest gaps that you've seen keeping people in rural areas from having access to technology?
Erma Ratliff: I think one of the biggest gaps is that some of these people that we are serving, they're 1 to 2 miles away from their neighbors. (02:06):
undefined
So how do we close that gap of bringing them broadband out to their farms to be able to communicate with the rest of the
country? So I think that's the biggest gap is making sure that we have everyone connected.
Megan McKoy-Noe: So just getting the infrastructure out there first and foremost. (02:24):
undefined
All right. Broadband providers, including telcos and electric co-ops,
are working really hard to extend internet access and get that network in place for folks.
W hat else can utilities do to really help improve digital equity in the communities that we're serving?
Erma Ratliff: I know some things that we have done here at Kanokla, we have done lunch and learns. (02:47):
undefined
We have also partnered with the local community college to do bits and bites.
We did different tech talks for everyone.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Wait, wait. Bits and bites. Is this with food? (02:57):
undefined
Erma Ratliff: Yes. So each week we had a – (03:01):
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Megan McKoy-Noe: Of course, it is. Yes (03:02):
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Erma Ratliff: different bit about technology with different bites of food. (03:02):
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And we partnered with the local community college to do that.
And it was really just basic classes, like the basics of how to use your Android and iPhones.
There's a lot of people who have phones, but they don't know how to use them. So doing that digital
literacy education part of that, and we also had cybersecurity awareness.
(03:23):
And the instructor actually he's not from this area, so he didn't know any people in the class.
So he just picked a random person from the class and was able to tell her based off her Facebook,
like how many kids she had, where she lived, where she went to school,
and just all this different information that shouldn't be out there.
But she didn't realize it.
Megan McKoy-Noe: And she ran away from the class screaming in horror. (03:40):
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Erma Ratliff: I know she was like – anyway, she came back. (03:42):
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She was thankful that we helped her set her Facebook to private.
But just to give people those tools of how to protect themselves.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah, cybersecurity. I know October is cybersecurity month, but a lot of utilities are really trying to use (03:51):
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safety as one of the values that we provide, helping to watch out for their connections,
helping educate them on that. Because you're right, people just don't think about it all the time.
And that goes for staff too. At utilities, a lot of folks are learning that even if
(04:16):
you just have your personal page, if you say you work at, let's say,
Kanokla and maybe you post something that other people find offensive,
like maybe it's a dead animal that you found when you were working on a fiber install.
S ome of that backlash can come back at the utility, but closing it so that it's not public is such a simple thing to
(04:37):
do, b ut people just don't think about it all the time.
So I like that you're working on that education, how to be smart,
bits and bites. It's almost, I mean, is that lunches as well?
You said you did luncheons, but is it sounds more like snacks.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, so we did some lunch and learns, but then this bits and bites was a different type of class that (04:56):
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we offered. Yeah, that was usually in the morning time.
We did like a little brunch kind of food.
So yeah.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I like that. So let's get back to the summit because that's something that I haven't heard of a lot of other folks (05:07):
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doing. And I think it's a really powerful way that you're helping your community.
Speakers at the summit included a local nonprofit founder, a city technology director,
and other stakeholders from south central Kansas and northern Oklahoma.
(05:29):
So you spread across state lines, which I thought was kind of fun.
Who are your key audiences for the summit?
Erma Ratliff: And a lot of our key audience was like different nonprofit organizations. (05:36):
undefined
Some of their board members came.
We had community members, city government, bankers, school members,
just different people who all could help us address the digital divide in our communities.
And that's why whenever we had speakers, we brought people from different backgrounds. We had someone from
a tribal background like you, said the city technology director.
(05:59):
Now there's more people who are in city government, cities who are getting broadband as a utility.
So we're starting to see more of that. So it's good to have his perspective, since that is around our area of how people are
tackling the broadband.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I love that. How many people attended your summit and share a little bit about the kind of conversations that (06:14):
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you overheard?
Erma Ratliff: Okay. We had around 75 people attend the summit, which was great because again, (06:23):
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we're a rural community. We hosted it here at Kanokla at our upstairs downtown event space,
which is something new we have in our area.
Megan McKoy-Noe: I read about this. (06:35):
undefined
Erma Ratliff: Yes. And with this, having this for the first time, it was great. (06:36):
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It made people feel uncomfortable sometimes because we did different round tables.
Okay. What are you doing to help your community?
Okay, well, if you're not doing that, how can you help your community? Just brought it back to like how
we can all come together and help.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Well, what are some of the things that are making people uncomfortable that they still need to address and talk about? (06:55):
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Erma Ratliff: I think some of the things are okay. So what are you doing in your community? Well, I'm not doing that. Well, why are you not? (07:02):
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Are you having, is it different maybe city government not helping you with that or is it,
I don't know, just different things I should say.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah, well, and maybe folks didn't realize what other folks, what other areas, (07:16):
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are doing and felt I'm picking up maybe they felt kind of not ashamed,
but like, "Oh, we should be doing that." And maybe embarrassed.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, (07:29):
undefined
Megan McKoy-Noe: That they're not doing more. So getting folks together from all different areas of the community to talk about this, (07:30):
undefined
you mentioned that one of the biggest challenges is just getting fiber,
getting broadband to homes in rural America.
And I agree, that's been a challenge, that it's been amazing to watch so many people band together
(07:53):
to help close that gap. But what other gaps did you hear?
And, what are the solutions that some people are using?
I know you mentioned the education component, the bits and bites and the lunches that your telco is using,
but what other problems are there and solutions are folks finding?
Erma Ratliff: So even like with ACP going around, people being able to afford broadband is really something big. (08:17):
undefined
Like how can we as broadband providers have lower cost packages for people who need the help?
And then also with digital devices, how do we educate the people on how to use the digital devices
for telehealth for different meetings?
Kind of like this podcast. If I didn't know how to sign into my computer,
(08:38):
how would I be able to learn how to do that?
So when we met, we were like, who from this group organizations all here who could come together and help put on these different
classes?
Megan McKoy-Noe: So you're talking about how to use technology for telehealth. (08:48):
undefined
Did you have someone from a local hospital in the room talking about ways that they can educate folks in that area?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. So we did have someone from the Health Foundation, which was great. (09:00):
undefined
And we also had different people from Caldwell.
And here in Caldwell, we actually just had a new hospital built about a year or two years ago.
So how they are doing more telehealth with their patients?
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. Yeah. (09:14):
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Erma Ratliff: And how to help people with that. (09:15):
undefined
So yeah, we can offer it. But if they don't know how to use it, then it's really kind of pointless.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. We keep telling folks the benefits of all of this, you know, (09:23):
undefined
of being connected. But if you don't know how to connect in the first place, it doesn't matter if you're able to offer them
access to the internet if they don't know how to use it.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. (09:37):
undefined
Megan McKoy-Noe: So what are the next steps coming out of the summit? (09:38):
undefined
I mean, you've identified challenges and some people are doing better than others.
What's next?
Erma Ratliff: I think the next step for us is to look at some of the programs that are offered in our state, (09:50):
undefined
in Kansas and Oklahoma. There's obviously the BEAD grant coming out in both states,
which are huge. And how do we help use those BEAD grants to get to those people who are underserved and things
like that. And then also just networking.
(10:11):
So with the people that we met at the conference, and how can we just not take what we learned that day,
but actually take it into action into our communities?
Megan McKoy-Noe: Do you have a way to follow up? Like, I know for communicators, there's like a listserv that I've been (10:20):
undefined
on for, good lord, maybe 20 years.
And that's how I just put ideas out and stay connected with people, even if I don't see them every day.
Is there now an email chain or regular meetings where these different stakeholders are staying in touch with each other and
(10:43):
sharing education ideas and examples of what they're doing?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. So we kind of have like we're on LinkedIn and Facebook so people can go on there if they have questions and things like (10:47):
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that to reach out to us all. And then also, we hope to keep continuing this digital equity summit to be other
parts of south central Kansas. So maybe next time, it will be another town like Greensburg,
Kansas had a tornado go through there probably about a while ago,
10-1 5 years ago. But how they all went green and how broadband helped them come back.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Oh, so finding other stories, success stories, across the state and then bringing stakeholders there to learn (11:08):
undefined
from them, and then build those networks.
Erma Ratliff: Yeah. (11:21):
undefined
Megan McKoy-Noe: So to speak. I love the different meanings of networks there. (11:22):
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S ome of these things hit me sometimes, Erma.
I get excited. So I love that. And I can't wait to hear about how that grows.
If you come up with any educational materials outside of what you're already doing with bits and bites,
and we'll include that at pioneer.coop/podcasts, so to make sure people can see more about the amazing work that
(11:47):
y'all are doing to help folks understand technology and how to use it to have a better life.
B ut if you have other examples, especially telehealth, I think would be a really fun one f or you
to partner with the, you know, local health systems about how to use it for telehealth.
And, I haven't seen someone do that before, so those are some really cool ideas.
(12:09):
But please let us know so that we can share those with other folks.
I would say this is not the first time that Kanokla has worked to improve digital equity in your
community. I was excited. I before we do podcasts, I always tend to do a little bit of research to find out
more about the folks coming on in your stories.
(12:32):
So can you tell me a little bit about the technology summer camp for middle schoolers that Kanokla co-hosts with
Cowley College?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, about six years ago, we started doing tech camps. (12:41):
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It's usually about a week long in the summer, 5th through 9th grade students come.
This year we had about 45 to 50 students, which is pretty big.
It's grown. This year, we actually did different stations.
We had a computer design station.
We had a learn how to take apart computers and put them back together.
(13:04):
We had coding station. We had someone, we actually had an internship program here at Kanokla.
Our old intern is now at University of Kansas, and she came down and taught how to do AI with robotics cars and
how to use drones. And anyway, it's really great thing to have for kids just to get a little intro into all the different ways
technology can help you in different career paths you could take.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Ah, that is so exciting! Now when I was looking at the page, I love that it's 5th through 9th grade so that kids can (13:27):
undefined
really form a relationship with you. They can come back year after year if they like.
I think it's from 9 a.m. to noon every day.
Is it for a full week, they're able to spend with you?
Erma Ratliff: Yeah, it's usually Tuesday through Friday, and the last day we usually have a pizza party and a gaming (13:46):
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competition, and they get free shirts.
And it's just usually a fun time.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. No, it sounds amazing. And they spend that time learning to design code, (13:54):
undefined
game together, as you said. Why do programs like this matter?
Erma Ratliff: It matters just to get people, to get students into the technology world. (14:04):
undefined
Obviously, with broadband and other industries moving more towards tech,
we're going to need more workers.
So to get them an intro and to be like, "Hey, I might like video game design." Or "Hey,
I might like coding, and these are the different jobs I could do with that."
Megan McKoy-Noe: I love that. And also, I think it kind of lets them know that you're on their side as well, (14:23):
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which is pretty darn cool too. So one last question before I let you go.
If utility pioneers want to improve digital equity in their community,
where should they start? What's the first step that they should take?
Erma Ratliff: I think one of the first steps is to look at their own business, to see like, (14:42):
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hey, what can we do to help out? And then maybe reach out to the local library and see what they can do as well.
Get some more community partners and stakeholders involved to see what everyone can do together.
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. I remember when I worked at GreyStone Power way back at the beginning of my career. (14:55):
undefined
One of the things we didn't realize people needed was a basic, like an outline,
a one-page "how to sign up for electricity," right?
And I would give that to kids. We had kids who weren't going to college,
(15:16):
and the the high school would bring them in, and they would learn about power and how to sign up for it.
I think now that's what people are doing for, you know, signing up for fiber,
for broadband, how to use it. Just handy tips so that they can understand how to use your service.
(15:37):
There's a need out there, and we are so – we live it and breathe it.
We're just so immersed in it. We don't always think about the –
Erma Ratliff: Basics of it. (15:46):
undefined
Megan McKoy-Noe: Yeah. The basics. We forget the basics. (15:47):
undefined
And I think that's one of the gaps out there too.
S o I can't wait to see how you guys continue to close that gap and help your entire
community come together to better serve and educate everyone in your community.
It is very exciting. Thank you so much for sharing your story with utility pioneers.
(16:11):
She is Erma Ratliff at Kanokla in Kansas, and I'm your host, Megan McKoy-Noe at Pioneer Utility Resources.
And until we talk again, keep telling your story.
Outro: StoryConnect is produced by Pioneer Utility Resources, a communications cooperative that is built to share your story. (16:22):
undefined
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