NextGenWeb recently caught up with Tom McDonald, CEO of BeSafe. BeSafe is a company that creates easy-to-use interactive applications that allow first responders to access immediate and accurate information about K-12 and higher education buildings. BeSafe has created a program that is designed to equip emergency personnel with the information they need when responding to incidents at sites where they frequently have limited prior experience or only partial knowledge about important building details. In this exclusive interview with NextGenWeb, Tom explains that the use of broadband is vital to the application of BeSafe because broadband allows first responders to be provided with real time information regarding building infrastructure, door numbering systems, and live video feeds.. Broadband also allows the responders to have an interactive experience, making them more efficient and prompt when dealing with situations that demand quick reaction. Mr. McDonald clearly states that without broadband, BeSafe would not be as accessible or as effective.

To Watch Tom’s Interview, Click Here

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NextGenWeb recently attended the Alliance for Public Technology luncheon “bringing educational opportunities to rural and urban America”. The event included a live demonstration of PEBBLES. PEBBLES is an innovative system that combines video conferencing technologies with simple robotics technology to allow medically fragile students confined in the hospital or at home to attend his/her school. Stephen Wooten, the second place winner of APT’s “how broadband changed my life contest” spoke about the educational opportunities that were opened to him through broadband technology. The event also featured findings from a forthcoming report examining the impacts of IT on education. Robert Atkinson president of the information technology and innovation foundation discussed how IT and broadband can improve education.

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ASPIRA was founded in 1961 by a group of concerned community leaders who believed that the most effective way to combat the socio-economic ills that affect the Puerto Rican community is through the education of its youth.

Today, ASPIRA , which means “aspire” in Spanish, is a national movement with associated offices in Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Florida, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

NextGenWeb was recently on-site at ASPIRA PA in Philadelphia with program representatives to explore how technology and high speed Internet access are changing how students interact, learn and achieve.

Click below to watch our profile of ASPIRA PA and our interview with National ASPIRA President Ron Blackburn Moreno.

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NextGenWeb attended a recent Alliance for Public Technology Brown Bag lunch titled “how broadband is changing the educational institutions and the lives of those who use them”. The lunch was part of APT’s “how broadband changed my life campaign”. The panel was attended by e-Learning experts representing a wide array of constituencies. After the lunch, NextGenWeb caught up with several of the panelists to discuss how broadband applications are revolutionizing the educational experience. The discussion centered on the vital role broadband connectivity plays in meeting the rapidly growing demands of students and the education system.

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NextGenWeb recently covered the New Democratic Network event on its Globalization Initiative. The event was held in the U.S. Capitol and was headlined by Rep. John Larson (D-CT). Another speaker at the NDN forum was Misty Chase, Project Director for Beyond Tobacco in Greene County, NC. Misty shared the success story of how broadband and access to high speed Internet has changed the quality of life in a county that was once dominated only by agriculture.

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