Innovate Willamina is a collaboration between local teachers, students, community members, and businesses to create a new model of hands on education that fosters forward thinkers who are aware and involved in the world. Towards that end, OnlineNW is working with ADTRAN, a leading provider of fiber-optic technology, to construct a high speed Internet network in our community.
Due to a tremendous community effort, Willamina was selected by OnlineNW and Innovate Oregon for the building of this new high-speed fiber Internet network, which will make us the fourth 10 Gig city in the nation. This infrastructure, combined with new learning opportunities for our students and community, will potentially generate tremendous new opportunities for economic prosperity in Willamina.
We can make a difference in our community, and give our students greater opportunities for growth. Find out more by clicking the links below, or check out our community calendar and programs below to find out how you can get involved.
Making Change Together
West Valley Food Initiative
Food, it brings people together, it creates community. Our aim is to celebrate and strengthen our community’s economic resilience and health through food independence. We will build connections as we share food, food growing, food stories, preservation, education and histories of the abundance of food around us here in the West Valley. Learn more.
Marketing
Willamina is a community with rich history and possibility. From farms to music to technology, our goal is to share our story with the world. Learn more.
OUR STORIES
The Innovate Willamina initiative brings our school, community and businesses together to learn the skills and mindsets of innovation that are needed to drive economic growth in our region. Here are some things people are saying:
Dennis Ulrich
Business Owner
“Being a business owner, this is an exciting time. High speed internet is a tool that can be used to bring new businesses into Willamina. I intend to initiate projects that will use a collaboration between schools, businesses, community and the Innovate program.”
Dave Buswell
Community Member
“Our town has a lot of potential. As a multi-generational community member, parent and grandparent, I want to help make Willamina a place of opportunity for our kids and a destination for businesses and residents.”
Carrie Zimbrick
Superintendent, Willamina Schools
“There is a lot of potential for our kids here in Willamina. We want to make our community a place of learning that empowers them to be the makers, creators and problem solvers of our future.”
Eleanore Stritzke
Student
“As a ten year old girl I think the Innovate Willamina program will open up lots more opportunities for me and many others. The make-a-thon was the beginning of that and I had a blast doing it. I hope it can grow and do what it set out to do, and I know I will be there to help it do so.”
First Connection
Diane and Phil Kupka are the very first people in Willamina to receive the new fiber optic internet service. They have lived in Willamina for about two years. When they heard about Online NW’s new high-speed internet service, they were thrilled. Diane, who works from...
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New Librarian
Sarah Frost has been working at Willamina Public Library as librarian since August 2016. Since then she has proven herself to be a dedicated and valuable public servant using her creativity and hard work. In the short time that she has been with us, she has done so...
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Ford Family Foundation
On Thursday, March 9th, Willamina held a meeting with speaker Denise Bacon of the Ford Family Foundation. This meeting was to discuss ideas on how to make our community great and plan a regional gathering where we will learn how to implement our ideas in the...
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Launch of Timbertown Media
We are excited to announce Timbertown Media. Timbertown Media is a creative collaboration between local students, community members, and teachers. Ken Potts, a video teacher from the Delphian school, is lending his filmmaking expertise. This dynamic group, consisting...
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OnlineNW Network Update
OnlineNW finally has their head-end cabinet in place! They ran into some issues with the original plan and had to move to another location. That required them to rebore the connections to it, which slowed the construction process down a bit. Now that the cabinet is in...
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Construction Starting Soon!
OnlineNW’s new fiber Internet network is coming soon to Willamina! This network is a key piece of the Innovate Willamina initiative, which is a collaboration between local teachers, students, community members, and businesses to create a new model for education...
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Signs Over Willamina
The Innovate Willamina signs are up and they look great! One is located coming in from HWY 22, and the other in the middle of downtown by the Garden Spot Park. Two more signs will soon be added to the mix, one at the West Valley Community Campus and the other at the...
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Willamina to be Next 10 Gigabit City
Willamina city council members, educators, and community members gathered at a Town Hall meeting Tuesday night to witness the announcement of Willamina as the next 10 gigabit city in Oregon, the second city on the West Coast and 4th in the nation. Volunteers have...
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West Valley Make-A-Thon a Success
Students, teachers, and community members gathered in the Willamina High School Cafeteria for the Innovate Willamina Make-a-thon. Their goal? To creatively solve problems with technology. Most of them had never done any sort of coding before, but equipped with laptops, circuit boards, and each other, they stepped up to the challenge.
read moreOur Partnership with OnlineNW
Innovate Willamina is partnering with OnlineNW to offer incredible opportunities to build new opportunity here in Willamina! OnlineNW is constructing a high-speed fiber optic network in Willamina, making Willamina the fourth 10 gigabit city in the entire nation. A percentage from each subscriber’s bill for this service will be invested into an Innovation Fund for Innovate Willamina to use for seed funding of student and community innovation projects.
Willamina Population
Children in Willamina Schools
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