It’s the Holidays and everyone wants their piece of the pie — now you can get yours. Funds For Learning, a professional firm specializing in the federal E-rate funding program, has launched a free professional learning community, Your Online Guide to E-rate Funding, on edWeb.net. School and district administrators can keep on top of current trends, news, rules and deadlines for the current filing window. Educators can exchange ideas, ask questions, and share tips on how to navigate the federal E-rate funding program right up to the filing deadline in March 2014. “The Federal E-rate program is an important initiative for schools to meet President Obama’s ConnectED goals for 99 percent of America’s students to have access to high-speed Internet connectivity within 5 years,” says Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb.net. “We’re delighted to help Funds For Learning use online connectivity via edWeb to guide administrators through a complex process,” she says. The community provides a series of free webinars with experienced Compliance Analysts from the Funds For Learning team. Presentations provide best practices and tips to ensure successful filing. At the completion of the three-part series, applicants will have a better understanding of the forms and procedures necessary during the E-rate application process, as well as retaining applicable documentation to verify program compliance. You can register for the upcoming three-part series, Cracking the E-rate Filing Window:
- December 12, Part 1. Making the Most of Your E-rate Applications
- January 9, Part 2. Best practices for your organization
- February 13, Part 3. Filing tips to keep in mind
The first webinar, presented in October by Brian Stephens, Senior Technology and Regulatory Analyst, presented an overview of the responses to the FCC survey and E-rate 2.0 program, and was followed by a session helping administrators be proactive in their approach to the new filing window. “Funds For Learning is dedicated to showing applicants how to effectively manage the E-rate program and a big part of that process is understanding requirements of the filing window,” says Brian Stephens, senior technology and regulatory analyst, Funds For Learning. “This webinar series will focus on navigating the filing window, avoiding common pitfalls, and being aware of regulatory requirements.” School administrators can join the free program, Your Online Guide to E-rate Funding, to stay informed about upcoming webinars, join in on discussions with peers, ask questions about the filing process, and gain access to valuable resources. Check it out here.
