There is a tremendous corporate movement happening in this country right now that supports building a knowledge-based economy and for U.S. businesses to take an active role in improving resources in academics and advocating for a technology literate 21st Century Student.

Expanding domestic companies are working to ensure that they have an ample supply of engineering talent to hire in the coming years to remain globally competitive. In addition to supporting broader educational programs, some companies have been funding classroom training and curricula in school districts where they have facilities nearby in hopes that it will help them develop “home-grown” engineers.

The debate to those corporate initiatives is this; while schools welcome the materials and much-needed resources, critics say the initiatives add a commercial agenda to academics. Is that bad? Perhaps, but, I certainly can think are far worse things for our slumping economy and poor educational outlook that this country faces in the future.

Continual changes in the dynamics of the global labor force are having a major impact on the way employers around the world conduct their affairs. Technology is shifting organizational missions, strategies and objectives and has been described as one of the five most important variables in the future of business. Yet, all indications are that organizations will face a technology talent crunch in the future.

Last year, more than 270,000 U.S. college freshmen were surveyed and only 7.5 percent of students said they planned to major in engineering. According to the Wall Street Journal, that’s the lowest level since the 1970s. The irony is that the number of technology jobs continues to grow but fewer young American women and men are choosing technology-related fields of study, even though the job pool is readily available.

State spending on K-12 education has grown in real dollar terms in the past decade. Declining housing values now threaten to eat into property-tax revenues; which also eats away at state budgets. Teachers, meanwhile, often welcome the lesson plans, classroom equipment and the corporate-sponsored professional development sessions. But, however well-intentioned, such corporate input may blur the line between pure academics and a commercial agenda, critics say.

Technology professionals must change their focus – from the “techie side” to the “user side” – transitioning from technology bells and whistles to more problem-solving. The move away from “bits and bytes” calls for a new kind of technology leadership. Also, recruiting and retaining skilled employees within a constantly shrinking talent pool will continue to be a critical component to the success of any business in the near future.

The criticism that corporate donations into public schools may be placing hiring priorities ahead of broader educational goals is legitimate. However, weigh that against the needs of cash-strapped school districts throughout America, it begs the question: How many public schools would be offering courses in aerospace engineering or robotics without such support?

MCNC operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), one of the nation’s first statewide education and research networks. NCREN provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses, academic research institutions, and public health facilities across the state.

MCNC raised $11.7 million in matching funds for its successful application through private sources, including $4 million from the MCNC endowment, making the total project a $40 million investment in North Carolina’s broadband infrastructure.

“Increased broadband access for underserved areas is a critical infrastructure improvement that will help businesses of all sizes create jobs,” said Gov. Perdue.  “NCREN will also play a vital role as part of my Career and College – Ready, Set, Go! Initiative, which will help ensure those businesses have access to a well-trained workforce.”

This funding will allow North Carolina to leverage the existing NCREN to create more robust access for our schools, libraries and public health facilities, while also reaching our underserved citizens.

The MCNC award is a key part of a coordinated strategy developed by the N. C. Office of Economic Recovery & Investment to improve broadband access for businesses and residents in underserved areas and enhance feasibility of Health Information Exchange (HIE) initiatives across the state, resulting in improved access to health services.

The ARRA appropriated $7.2 billion and directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to expand broadband access to unserved and underserved communities across the U.S., increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits. The result is the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

“We are pleased to learn of the BTOP award to MCNC,” said Mike Murphy, chairman of the MCNC Board of Directors.  “The 480 miles of new fiber throughout the western and southeastern part of North Carolina will ensure that our K-12 schools, universities, community colleges, university hospitals, and other community anchor institutions (libraries, public health) will have access to unlimited amounts of bandwidth now and into the future.  All North Carolinians will benefit from the public/private partnership that created this application.”

MCNC will begin immediately to undertake the work of planning and building the new middle-mile fiber. Construction is expected to last up to three years.  The new fiber build will be an essential element in North Carolina’s plans to reach citizens and community anchor institutions that currently have limited broadband access.
Within the next 60 days, MCNC will issue several requests for proposal (RFP) for the design, construction and operation of the network.  These RFPs have the potential to create more than 230 engineering/construction jobs.

The new fiber build will traverse 37 counties in southeastern and western North Carolina.

Consumers and small businesses along the fiber build will be reached with enhanced broadband service through commercial telecommunications and cable providers with whom MCNC has formed partnerships.  FRC/PalmettoNet, a middle-mile operator and partner in MCNC’s application will assist last-mile service providers in reaching consumers and commercial businesses. The network has the potential to serve more than 1,500 anchor institutions, 180,000 businesses, and more than 300,000 underserved families.

“FRC is pleased to be one of MCNC’s key private partners in this project and can think of no better organization than MCNC to lead the expansion of North Carolina’s middle-mile broadband infrastructure” according to John Dudley, FRC’s Senior Director of Public Policy and External Affairs. “We are extremely pleased that the NTIA has recognized the intended benefits of this project and we look forward to building a network which will extend the depth and breadth of broadband within the state of North Carolina.”

This is North Carolina’s second broadband recovery related award.  In October, North Carolina’s broadband authority eNC received a $2.3 million broadband mapping grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, the MCNC application has been coordinated closely with other applications for federal economic recovery funds in North Carolina, including those in the areas of health care and education.

This weekend I took upon myself to do some home improvements – or should I say un-improvements.

Normally, I’m pretty talented in this capacity as honey-do dude and capable of fixing and building just about anything around the house.

My wife and I recently had some ceramic tile installed in our bathrooms. It looks awesome and is a huge improvement to the space. The expert who assisted in the project recommended putting down sealant to prevent the tile and grout from cracking over time. I agreed and went to the store to pick up the necessary product to make it happen.

Apparently, I picked up the wrong product.

When I put down the sealant, nothing on the instructions indicated that it would dry hot pink. Yes, hot pink.

Our beautiful new bathroom floor looked like someone threw up Pepto Bismal all over it.

Now, I consider myself a pretty tough dude, but I was so upset that little tears trickled down my face.  All I could do was stand there and sulk over what I had done. My wife, on the other hand, was fantastic. She was more focused on fixing the problem instead of worrying about the actual problem or what it would mean to the future of our home.

Her reaction is what prompted my economic epiphany.

I thought about the challenges we all currently face with our economy as well as the problems associated with the pink nightmare that used to be my bathroom.  Metaphorically speaking, our economic struggles are very similar.

I managed to create a serious problem in less than 30 minutes without breaking a sweat. It took almost 10 hours to fix it. But, you know what; I fixed it – complete with sore knees, aching back and a slight buzz from the fumes of the sealant remover.

My point is that everyone who wants to succeed in this country will need to stop being in such a huff about the situation we are in and start using a little elbow grease (and maybe some hydrochloric acid) to help clean it up.

I am not standing on the soapbox or trying to be insensitive about the hard times many of you face, because I ‘m right there with you.  However, if we can look at our economic woes as a problem that can be fixed with hard work instead of just talking about it all the time, maybe the light at the end of the tunnel becomes more visible. Maybe we start sleeping better at night. Maybe our children have a brighter future.

The clock is ticking. And, based on my new experience, the longer the problem sits, the worse it gets and the harder it is to correct it. And, no one wants to see our beloved red, white and blue stained pink.

Innovation is everywhere – at least that’s what people say all the time. It just might be the most overused term in executive circles today. Shoot, we even chose to use it in naming this blog. Is that innovative? Dunno?
What the Innovation Exchange has noticed over the years is that not everyone shares in the same definition of innovation. So, we talked with several leaders in various industries throughout the Triangle and country to help define innovation.

As you’ll see below, the responses are, well, innovative.  And, we would love to see what you think.

“To be innovative, an entrepreneur needs not only to have a good idea, but also to come up with a solution to someone else’s problem. Innovation ultimately needs to have some kind of application in the marketplace, presumably to make a product or service faster, cheaper, or more readily accessible, so it will attract customers and – ideally! – revenue.  Innovation starts by asking ‘how could this be better?’ followed by ‘what will it take to get there?’”
Joan Seifert Rose
President and CEO
Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED)
http://www.cednc.org/
“To me, innovation is a marriage of the art and science of creation. As such, it can be equally gorgeous, murky, experimental, and challenging. And, like any marriage, the trick is to find the way to sustain and grow it successfully! Whether through discovery, convergence, translation, or application in a new context, innovation is the engine we’ll build the 21st century around – which means a lot of change for all of us.”
Karl Rectanus
Leader, North Carolina STEM Community Collaborative
http://www.ncstem.org (Web site launching soon)
“Innovation can be seen as new applications for existing products or services or bringing new people into the fold to use existing products or services.  In my view it is important to see all three aspects of innovation: people, product (service), and use.”
Ron Jebaily
Partner, Jebaily Law Firm
http://www.jebailylaw.com/
“True innovation is still invention. It’s still great minds creating things that can lead to commercial success or improve the human condition.   What is different about invention today is that due to the advances in information and communications technology, great minds can connect and collaborate in real time.  Invention, as a result, proceeds at a faster pace.  More importantly, the time to mass distribution or mass adoption of invention has greatly compressed.”

Joe Freddoso
President and CEO MCNC
http://www.mcnc.org
“Innovation is the convergence of visionary thinking, planning, and hard work. Tossing conventional rules aside, being bold and unafraid of venturing into unchartered waters, and yet being humble enough to respect technology and all its ever-evolving beauty, that is a true innovator.”

Rita Cosby
Emmy-Award Winning Journalist/Best-Selling Author
http://www.ritacosby.com/
“Innovation is the creative approach to a problem or task, unencumbered by conventional thinking or traditional barriers.”

Brooks Raiford
President and CEO
North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA)
http://www.nctechnology.org

“In my mind, a valuable form of innovation is conceptualizing something familiar in a new way. As an illustration, for decades I have taken showers in bathtubs constrained by shower curtains whose straight rods created a narrow space. Now this space is more expansive because an innovator thought ‘outside the box’ to develop a curved shower rod.”

Dr. Chris Dede
Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard University

“Innovation means doing something differently, incremental, radical or revolutionary. With that, innovation is envisioning something new in one’s mind that doesn’t exist. Taking this vision to reality while some kick you in the teeth is one of the hardest things to do in a lifetime. Those that are hugely successful at pulling it off are labeled innovators. But, innovators are everyone that has an idea, and despite all odds, create something new – either products, goods, or services.”

Billy Glynn
Founder of Collective IQ
Author of Left Turn on Red and ranked one of the world’s top innovators by Information Week magazine
http://www.billyg.net/

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. Innovation is everywhere. Keep checking back for more….

The changing needs of students today demand that we offer technologically-advanced options for today’s classrooms. Next month’s celebrated completion of the N.C. School Connectivity Initiative is a major step in ensuring that every teacher and student has broadband access, no matter where they live, no matter how large or small the school district.
MCNC, an RTP-based non-profit, is planning a big celebration honoring the completion of the N.C. School Connectivity Initiative on Thursday, May 7, at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh. The celebration will focus on recognizing the leadership of Governor Bev Perdue, the North Carolina General Assembly and the University of North Carolina system, who were the driving forces behind funding for the School Connectivity Initiative.

“The N.C. School Connectivity Initiative provides local school districts with the connectivity and access to technologies that help prepare today’s students for the careers of tomorrow,” said Joe Freddoso, President and CEO of MCNC. “The fast implementation of the School Connectivity Initiative was achieved through a collaboration among the Department of Public Instruction, eNC, North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services, the Friday Institute , private sector service providers including ATT, TimeWarner Cable, Embarq, Verizon, DukeNet and MCNC.”

NCREN is a statewide IP data and video network that provides high-speed connectivity, distance learning capability and is one of the nation’s first statewide education and research networks. It provides broadband communications technology services and support to K-12 school districts, higher education campuses and academic research institutions across North Carolina.

MCNC offers the NCREN network, technology tools and services to guarantee equal access to 21st century learning by providing a future-proof technology network that is the foundation for change and innovation in our educational systems. It creates possibility and an equitable educational experience throughout the state.

MCNC continues to increase the scope and reach of NCREN.

The NCREN user-community now includes:

• 17 Institutions of the UNC System and General Administration
• 24 of the 36 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
• All 115 Public K-12 School Districts in the state
• 7 of the largest North Carolina Community Colleges
• Research Institutions and Foundations

The N.C. School Connectivity Initiative is the result of North Carolina leaders’ desire for 21st century classrooms and development of a North Carolina workforce prepared to succeed in a global economy. It seeks to expand the number of schools with broadband Internet access; further develop communication networks for rural and underperforming schools; and develop a scalable model to maintain and enhance network services to all schools in North Carolina.
This initiative entered the implementation phase in spring 2008 and initially was established through N.C. Senate Bill 1741 by the General Assembly.   Now, with all K-12 schools in the state connected to NCREN, results include increased collaboration between all K-20 education entities in the state.

Dr. Bill Harrison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Board of Education, will be the keynote speaker at the event. He was appointed to the by Gov. Perdue to fill an At-Large position. A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Harrison has served N.C. public schools in a variety of ways throughout his career. ”The School Connectivity initiative is critical to creating the kind of classrooms and learning environments that provide educators and students the content and the tools needed to truly make our students competitive in today’s global economy and interconnected world,” said Harrison.

The public is welcome to attend.

How long is a month? It’s not really that long in the big scheme of things, but it can be when you drinking from the fire hydrant and taking over as president of a software company.

Jay Finnigan recently took the president role at I-CAN (Internet Community Action Network) and brings to the table a strong business background and extensive experience in building customer loyalty. He held previous leadership roles with Noverant Learning Management Systems in Raleigh and Vocollect Healthcare Systems in Pittsburgh.  I-CAN’s founder Jon Beard remains CEO of the Raleigh-based firm.

Finnigan says schools need help connecting students with industry.  Teachers need help relating classroom curriculum with the real world. I-CAN is a group of Web 2.0 tools with additional intelligence that helps build private communities that are controlled and safe and have practical applications for education, local/state governments and private corporations and business.

I-CAN was developed to improve personal and economic growth to the benefit of the entire community. As an Internet platform and using 21st Century technologies, I-CAN helps scale individual learning and access to knowledge to meet strategic goals.

Could this software solution really be N.C.’s Education Social Network?

“All the activities going on today to bring technology to students and teachers is great and powerful stuff,” Finnigan adds. “The one link missing is the one that ties it all together to real-world career development. Our system combines our targeted communities to let students expand beyond learning the technology to integrating with real-world professional development.”

This concept might come right in time for the state-mandated Graduation Project. The graduation project is required for high school graduation of all students who entered as freshmen in 2006-2007. Those students graduating next year will be the first class required to complete the four components of the Graduation Project consisting of a research paper, product, portfolio, and an oral presentation. Student engagement provides the opportunity to connect content knowledge, acquired skills, and work habits to real-world situations and issues.

Every student also must work with a mentor/professional, which is difficult for many school districts. The problem of finding and connecting with approved mentors locally and has become an issue for some as the first graduation class who must fulfill the graduation requirement is almost a year away.

According to the N.C. Department of Instruction, an approved mentor must have expertise in the area the student is interested in and is willing to work with the student; is 21 years of age or older; and is not a household member. A mentor allocates time and makes arrangements to work with the student, provides advice, support and resources, and signs all required forms for the student to graduate.

I-CAN is able to help create a graduation project and mentor database. Whether it’s a student having trouble finding a mentor for a class project or a teacher looking for another teacher to help develop their technology skills, I-CAN offers each user a unique Web portal that delivers mentors, career and learning opportunities, and support groups based on who they are and their needs.

One of the biggest accomplishments at I-CAN was the integration of virtual online meeting technology as well as the ROBOTS program that helped 210 students from underserved populations in the state receive an education that was once thought impossible to obtain.

Using Skype/Wiki-type technology, I-CAN had six college sites in the program. With left over funding from the initial project, I-CAN has revamped and extended the program this year to North Carolina A&T.

In the past 35 years, I-CAN has worked nationally with nearly 100 school districts to help teachers integrate technology into their everyday curriculum.  Now, I-CAN is looking to work with every school district to bring the real world into every classroom via the power of the Internet.

“We really want to find the value proposition within the industry. Our main focus is on the education side and to find a product that fits that community while overlaying it on our secondary targets,” Finnigan closes. “We didn’t just come up with this concept out of the blue. I-CAN is a product that is 30 years in the making to connect education with the business world.”