DIXFIELD – Katherine Harvey envisions a tour of the Smithsonian Institution for any pupil in SAD 21.

She also looks forward to offering foreign language classes such as Chinese to any student in the River Valley area.

This, and a multitude of other ways of bringing the world to the River Valley will soon happen in the schools of SAD 21, as well as expanding the Internet offerings for neighboring SAD 43, Jay and Lewiston. It’s all thanks to a $378,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utility Service.

Harvey, the grant manager for the district, said SAD 21 is the fiscal agent for the funds.

Just how much money each district or school department will receive has not yet been determined. It will be based on what is needed, she said, although it is expected that SAD 21 will receive a larger share because it does not have any distance learning technology while the other three do.

Harvey said all four districts or departments are scheduled to discuss funding for their needs soon after Thanksgiving, with all the new opportunities expected to begin sometime in 2008.

Kevin Kaulback, technology director for SAD 21, said he’s excited about the new ways children can learn, particularly since he has two youngsters in the district, and he helped install similar equipment in Jay.

Harvey sees the grant opening up learning opportunities for the community, as well, by offering training for firefighters, nurses, police and other emergency service personnel.

“The grant has the potential to serve 4,300 students and 69,000 residents,” he said.

The equipment will enable live video to be beamed directly to mobile units within the schools, then displayed on computers or “smart” boards.

“The server will accept live video,” Kaulback said.

Rumford Fire Chief John Woulfe said his department already takes advantage of training through interactive video at Mountain Valley High School.

He said statewide firefighter training is offered for any department that has access to such technology.

“It can interact with departments,” he said.

As for the Smithsonian, it is but one of the possible field trips students could take.

Anywhere the technology exists, it could be beamed to SAD 21.

“The most expensive field trip would cost $100,” Harvey said. “The equipment will enhance the curriculum.”

It can also be hooked up to laptops owned by college students who could mentor high school students who are thinking about college and who may have many questions, and can offer teacher staff development.

The possibilities seem endless.

“When we were writing the grant, I learned that it could open the whole world up, so much they wouldn’t have otherwise in culture, the arts, education and training. Perhaps this will stimulate the economy.”