About CCCN
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Crawford County Community Network is to link people and organizations to information through this community website located at www.cccn.net. This is accomplished by identifying tools to:
* publicize the strengths of the county
* enhance communication to identify gaps and eliminate duplication of effort
* encourage and enable collaboration
CCCN's vision is to help develop a county united through a common communications and information storage network that empowers citizens to interact, access and share resources, and improve professional and technical skills, with the added benefit of promoting tourism and economic development while preserving the natural beauty of the county.
Original Purpose
When founded in 1996, the Crawford County Community Network (CCCN) had three main objectives:
1) To make information about Crawford County available on the Internet both to attract visitors and to keep residents informed. This would be accomplished through the CCCN web site. Funding for the web site was made possible by a $30,000 grant from Access Indiana.
2) To advocate for local dialup Internet access for the entire county. The eastern telephone exchanges, 365, 633, and 739, had been adequately served by several Internet Service Providers for quite some time. However, CCCN was instrumental in getting local Internet access beginning in March 1997 to the 338 telephone exchange, which serves English, the county seat. Kiva Networking partnered with CCCN and the Crawford County Public Library to provide a local dial up access for the English area 338 telephone exchange, thanks to several grants from the Indiana State Library to cover a web server, modem bank, two public access computers, and a T1 Internet connection through the Crawford County Public Library. Thanks to a $4300 donation from CCCN and a partnership with TDS Telecom, local dialup Internet access to the Wickliffe (685) exchange was made available on July 4, 1999 as well, signaling completion of the goal to obtain local Internet access for the entire county.
3) To improve technology literacy throughout the county by providing public computer trainings.
Accomplishments
Since its inception in 1996, CCCN has accomplished the following:
- February 1997: Received a $30,000 grant from Access Indiana to develop a comprehensive web site for Crawford County.
- March 1997: Arranged for Kiva Networking to provide local dialup Internet service to the English (338) exchange by working with the Crawford County Public Library to coordinate several grant opportunities from the Indiana State Library, including:
- $12,800 for a web server and modem pool of 8 modems
- 2 public Internet access computers to be housed at the Crawford County Public Library
- Funding for an Internet connection to the Crawford County Public Library, which serves as the local POP (Point of Presence) for Kiva subscribers in the 338 exchange
- March 1998: Received a donation of $25,000 in software from the Microsoft Corporation to be used for a Windows NT server for the Crawford County Public Library and to equip up to 25 computers to serve as the foundation of a possible county-wide area computer network.
- March 1998: Received over $1000 under a School-to-Work grant to train Crawford County High School students to develop web pages.
- July 1998: Received official 501(c)(3) charitable tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.
- August 1998: Recognized by INDICO as THE Official Web Site of Crawford County.
- September 1998: Received 1998 Southern Indiana Rural Development Project Success Stories award in the category of Education for its Non-Profit Grant program.
- October 1998: Began providing community computer trainings at the Youth Service Bureau.
- December 2000: Received a $233,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment to set up computer labs in all of the Crawford County Schools, and was able to continue to give low-cost or free community computer instruction.
- May 2001: Received a $2500 grant from the Youth Service Bureau to begin 'for credit' computer applications classes to the C.A.S.H students.
- June 2001: Received a $2500 grant from the Community Foundation of Crawford County for Web server upgrade, training and Web site development.
- January 2002: Received $2500 from the Youth Service Bureau to continue providing computer classes for the C.A.S.H students.
- June 2002: Received two $2000 grants from the Community Foundation of Crawford County for Project S.I.T. (Seniors in Technology) and for a community Technology Fair.
- March 2003: Worked with the Youth Service Bureau's Alternative School to integrate Plato, a computer based curriculum into the classroom
Current Projects
An ongoing project is to update all not-for-profit web pages that are hosted by CCCN. Also ongoing is the continual population of the database that is on the CCCN site so that all businesses, organizations, and other information about our community will remain current.
The upcoming project for CCCN is to advocate for broadband in Crawford County. CCCN will work with local community leaders to help facilitate, educate, and encourage the use of broadband in our county.
Organization
CCCN is a qualified nonprofit charitable 501C(3) corporation and operates under the guidance of a volunteer Board of Directors, representing several community groups and all 5 local telephone exchanges in Crawford County.
CCCN works solely through memberships, donations, or grants. We are not a tax supported organization. Funding for CCCN has been made possible through grants from Access Indiana and the Indiana State Library and local grant sources. CCCN is also a member of the Indiana Community Network Association (ICNA). Click here to view our original Access Indiana grant request (from 1996).
* Board Members
* Board Meetings Minutes
* Articles of Incorporation
* By Laws
How You Can Help
Here are some of the ways you can be involved in the Crawford County Community Network:
- Send community content (such as government meeting minutes) to webmaster@cccn.net
- Attend Board Meetings
- Spread the word about CCCN. Nothing promotes community collaboration better than 'word of mouth'
- Serve on a Committee
- Contact CCCN to see how you can volunteer