Connect DC: 2013

Friends, Technology affects us all—from residents to businesses to community institutions. It has the potential to transform lives, solve problems, and connect communities. Access to the Internet has changed the way we communicate, work, learn, and get our news and information. These advances have improved the quality of life for most of us, but not for everyone. And that’s why we go to work each day.  At Connect.DC, we understand that everything is affected by technology, but we also know that many people still don’t have the access or skills to take full advantage of everything modern technology has to offer. Together with our partners, we are working to do something about that. We’re providing indoor and outdoor free Wi-Fi hotspots and computer access in libraries and recreation centers, training District residents and small businesses to use technology, and working with service providers to ensure both groups have affordable options once they finish their training. We’re also reaching out to people like you to see how we might collaborate to reach the underserved. Our efforts at Connect.DC are making a difference, and we welcome your suggestions for ways that we can better serve our community.  Your Connect.DC team Small Business Success Project Update In December, OCTO announced a new initiative connecting District-based small businesses with basic digital literacy education through a subgrant to the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC). LEDC’s Small Business Success Project is helping entrepreneurs get comfortable with technology tools and giving them the opportunity to advance their business goals and remain competitive in the digital economy. Participants are eligible to receive hardware, software, and Internet connectivity through the trainings. Since December, LEDC has trained more than 60 micro and small businesses. For a full list of LEDC’s upcoming workshops, click here. Save the Date: Spring 2013 Community Broadband Summit We are excited to announce our Spring 2013 Community Broadband Summit will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2013! As in the past, we will collaborate with community partners and technology advocates to explore the power of broadband technology in the District and to build tech capacity in DC residents, small businesses, and community institutions. Please contact us to be part of this unique community event. More details to come! See video and pictures from our Fall 2012 Community Broadband Summit, held in conjunction with DCWEEK 2012. Out and About Your Connect.DC team was on the move this past winter, supporting local events and collaborating with technology groups to advance the cause. Acting Program Director Delano Squires presented at the Ward 8 Tech Council meeting on February 5th, where he described Connect.DC’s digital inclusion efforts and gained insight on the specific tech needs of Ward 8 residents. On February 12th, Connect.DC and OCTO subgrantee Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) participated in an event with Google. We picked up a few pointers from a handful of Social Media Week events, engaged with panelists during a very enlightening Broadband Summit hosted by The Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in early February, made new friends at the first Black Girls Code Meet and Greet in the District, and caught up with old friends at a town hall meeting for the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative (DCPNI). If you would like to partner with us on your next outreach event, please contact us. Digital Inclusion in District Schools When the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter Schools (CAPCS) began receiving broadband services from DC-Net in September, 2012, they were looking to better use technology to fulfill their mission of helping elementary and middle school students develop in all aspects of learning—from critical thinking to mathematical reasoning and scientific inquiry. Read more Interact with DC’s Broadband Mapping Application OCTO’s DC Broadband Mapping Application allows users to identify broadband availability and performance throughout the District. The map includes the ability to view by technology type, download/upload speeds and the number of providers within a given location. For information on other mapping efforts in the District, click here. Facebook Survey: What’s Your Most Essential Tech Tool? In January, we asked our Facebook fans this question: if you HAD to choose one device/platform to access the Internet, which would you choose? Our fans were split evenly between laptop and tablet. No one chose desktop! For up-to-the-minute news and engagement with our team, ‘like’ us on Facebook. UPCOMING EVENTS Research Subgrant Request for Application (RFA) Release Date Monday, March 25, 2013 Stay tuned for updates >> Grant Proposal Writing 101 Workshop Tuesday, March 26, 2013 10am-12pm View more info >> Spring 2013 Community Broadband Summit Saturday, May 18, 2013 Stay tuned for event details >>

About Us Connect.DC was established by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) of the District of Columbia Government to draw attention to the advantages of technology and collaborate with government, nonprofit and corporate entities to advance citywide broadband access and education initiatives. Connect.DC is funded by a combination of OCTO resources and two American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants—State Broadband Initiative (SBI) and Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)—through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the United States Department of Commerce. Visit our website Send us an email Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Call 202-CONNECT (266-6328)

2012 Taxes. Free Software

If your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is $57,000 or less, you may qualify to use a brand name tax software to prepare and e-file your taxes for FREE. Answer a few questions on IRS.gov to help you determine your eligibility to use Free File tax software. If your AGI is more than $57,000, you can still use Free File fillable forms for your federal tax return. Learn more about Free File for all taxpayers.

Webinar: Recording & Feedback. DoD-Civil EM Program Integration

The Webinar recording of the March 13th EMForum.org program, "Department of Defense - Civil Emergency Management Program Integration," with Ryan Broughton, CEM®, CBCP, Emergency Management Program Manager for Davis-Paige Management Systems, LLC, is now available. This is a large file and requires Windows Media Player or Windows Media Components for QuickTime or a similar product to view. The recording is also available in MP4 format for mobile users. The Transcript,  Audio Podcast, Slides, as well as Ratings and Comments are available from the Background Page. The Audio Podcast and MP4 recordings are also available from the iTunes Store.

 

Note: The Army EM Program all hazards mutual aid agreement (MAA) template is found at Appendix H and has been extracted and posted at http://www.emforum.org/vforum/DOD/p525_27AppendixH.pdf.  The Navy program manual also includes an MAA template at Appendix H pertaining to fire protection and hazardous materials response, which is available here.  These links are also available from the Background Page. 

 

Thanks to all who participated.  Please take a moment to rate this program for relevance and share your comments.

Our next program is scheduled for March 27^th when we are very excited to present an update on the status of the Public Safety Broadband Network.  Our guest will be FirstNet Board Member Kevin McGinnis. Please make plans to join us then.

March 21, 2013.. International Challenges and Opportunities: Law and Policy on Cybersecurity

International Challenges and Opportunities:  Law and Policy on Cybersecurity

Please join the George Washington University Cybersecurity Initiative and the George Washington University Law School on March 21st for a conversation with leading subject matter experts on "International Challenges and Opportunities:  Law and Policy on Cybersecurity". Panelists will share thoughts on the best means and mechanisms for addressing gaps and shortfalls, from a range of perspectives -- U.S. and international, both public and private sector. Graduate and undergraduate students in all disciplines are welcome, and encouraged to share their ideas and reactions.      Panelists:  Scott Charney   Corporate Vice President,   Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft      Jason Healey Director of Cyber Statecraft Initiative, Atlantic Council Marina Kaljurand   Ambassador, Embassy of Estonia    Christopher Painter Coordinator for Cyber Issues, U.S. Department of State    Moderated by:      Frank J. Cilluffo    Director, Homeland Security Policy Institute          Thursday, March 21st, 2013 3:30 pm until 5:00 pm   Reception to follow     The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs  Seventh Floor | City View Room   1957 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20052 | Map It              Speaker Biographies:      Scott Charney is Corporate Vice President for Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group. Mr. Charney is responsible for a range of corporate programs that influence the security, privacy, and reliability of Microsoft's products, services, and internal networks. He also manages the Engineering Excellence Team, a group focused on promoting best-of-breed engineering practices and ensuring compliance with Microsoft's mandatory engineering policies. More    Jason Healey is the director   of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative of the Atlantic Council, focusing on international cooperation, competition and conflict in cyberspace. He also is a board member (and former executive director) of the Cyber Conflict Studies Association and lecturer in cyber policy at Georgetown University. He co-authored the book Cyber Security Policy Guidebook by Wiley and he is the editor for the first book ever on cyber conflict history (due in 2013). His ideas on cyber topics have been widely published in dozens of articles and essays published by the National Research Council; academic journals such as from Brown and Georgetown Universities; the Aspen Strategy Group and various think tanks. More        Marina Kaljurand became Ambassador of Estonia to the United States on September 6, 2011.  Previous to this post she served as Undersecretary for Foreign Economic Relations and Development Aid in Estonia (2008-2011), non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan (2007-2011), Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2005-2008), and Ambassador to Israel (2004-2006). Kaljurand also held the positions of Counselor at the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki, Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs, Director General of Legal Department, Director of International Treaties Division, and 3rd Secretary of the Press and Information Department. More        Christopher Painter has been on the vanguard of cyber issues for twenty years. Most recently, Mr. Painter served in the White House as Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy in the National Security Staff. During his two years at the White House, Mr. Painter was a senior member of the team that conducted the President's Cyberspace Policy Review and subsequently served as Acting Cybersecurity Coordinator. He coordinated the development of a forthcoming international strategy for cyberspace and chaired high-level interagency groups devoted to international and other cyber issues.More

Youth Scientist Challenge 2013

Do you have some budding young scientists in your classroom? 

Discovery Education and 3M are looking for students in grades 5-8 who are enthusiastic about science. 

To enter the Young Scientist Challenge, students must create a 1-2 minute video describing a new innovation or solution that could solve or impact an everyday problem related to how we live, how we work or how we play. 

The top 10 students will receive a trip to the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, MN to compete for the chance to win $25,000!

Here is the Teachers Tools page for you to help your students get started right away. The contest ends April 23

2013-2014 John D. Solomon Fellowship Program

2013-2014 John D. Solomon Fellowship Program.

The John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service is the first student fellowship in New York City government devoted specifically to emergency management. This program provides the opportunity for up to seven graduate students in New York City-area universities to have a nine-month paid fellowship (approximately 20 hours per week) in an agency of New York City government charged with helping the city prepare for all types of emergencies. Each fellow will receive a $4,000 stipend, will be assigned an agency mentor and will participate in special programs with other fellows.

Participating New York City government agencies in 2013-2014 will be:

• Office of Emergency Management
• Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
• Department of Aging
• Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs
• NYC Digital
• NYC Service
• Department of Youth and Community Development

The deadline for applications is Friday, March 15, 2013.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/about/about_johndsolomonfellowship.shtml.

Essence Editor Says She Was Fired

http://naturallymoi.com/2013/03/news/essence-editor-says-she-was-fired-it-wasnt-what-i-expected-at-all/

Essence Editor Says She Was Fired; “It wasn’t what I expected at all”

March 8, 2013 Filed under News Posted by Staff

It seems that Essence Magazine is no longer about empowering and inspiring Black women. Constance C.R. White is the former Editor of Essence magazine and she has let the cat out of the bag. She shares that she did not leave the top Black women’s magazine of her own accord but was actually let go because she disagreed with the direction the magazine was going.

According to White, when Time Inc took over the magazine, which was previously Black owned, they increasingly made an effort to “limit the way black women were portrayed.” White says that she disagreed with this new direction and constantly had disagreements with her bosses and they eventually told her that they were letting her go.

“I went in there with passion and excitement and high expectations,” White told Journal-isms, referring to her 2011 hiring. “It wasn’t what I expected at all.  What needs to happen is the reader is getting lost and the reader has to be at the center. To make their world smaller is unacceptable,” White said by telephone. “A lot of the readers have sensed” what is happening, she said.

Essence, the nation’s leading magazine for black women, was originally black-owned but has not fared well under Time Inc. ownership, White maintained. Nelson [Martha Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Time Inc.] vetoed such pieces as a look at African American art and culture, and “I was not able to make the creative hires that needed to be made,” White said.

White’s story adds additional doubt to the notion that Essence can be considered a legitimate advocate for black women when black women are not being allowed to make key decisions for the magazine.  This was the concern for millions of readers when the magazine was purchased by Time Inc.  Since the merger took place, the content became lighter and less-controversial in tone, focusing on a steady staple of relationship advice, beauty tips, and more advertising than ever before.

She elaborated by email, “When was the last time you saw Essence in the community advocating for or talking with Black women?

“No more T-shirts with a male employee’s face on it being distributed at the [Essence] Festival.”

Essence announced White’s departure in a terse statement on Feb. 8. No explanation was given.