Adams County Connected is a community-based initiative that used the National e-Commerce Extension Initiative’s Connecting Rural Communities curriculum to explore issues and develop strategies to make Adams County, Pennsylvania a connected community. The goal of Adams County Connect is to ensure dependable, affordable and high speed Internet access in all areas of Adams County; encourage all sectors of the community to provide services and information online; and build community acceptance and use of online services and technologies, so that anyone who wants to can access the Internet by smart phone, computer, handheld, whatever their need may be.
In less than a year, the initiative was embraced by the Adams County Commissioners who created a Broadband Connectivity Task Force charged with guiding the initiative, conducting needs assessment and recommending a strategy to the county. To accomplish this, Adams County Connected is working to:
- Define ‘better-connected’ access to the Internet in terms of speed, reliability, capacity and affordability.
- Build public interest and support for connectivity through our website, social media, traditional news outlets, presentations, etc
- Create interest and demand across all sectors of users – families, schools, health care, small businesses, tourism, farmers, local government, churches, human services, and industry – through events, forums, workshops and other venues to help them understand the opportunities that the Internet offers them.
- Focus on education to show people how to use the Internet and digital technologies safely and effectively.
Adams County Connect is truly a community wide effort with team member representation from interested citizens, county commissioners, municipal organizations, school staff, the Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg College, The National Park Services, ag preservation, farmers’ market, the office of the aging, local libraries, Wellspan-Gettysburg Hospital…and many more. This comprehensive team helps communicate to the community the importance that a fully developed Internet infrastructure will help everyone in the community to grow and prosper, fulfilling needs from using the Internet to find a job, shop, bank, manage health care, to being able to work or take college classes from home.
If you would like to share your ideas, enthusiasm and expertise, or would like more information about Adams County Connect, please contact:
Lori Lencheski
Economic Development Specialist
Adams County Office of Planning and Development
(717) 337-9824
llencheski@adamscounty.us