Innovation Showcases
Portable/mobile Ultra Low Cost Managed WiFi for Displaced Populations: Open Source Cloud Managed Cellular Based WiFi View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase James Skon
Internet access for people in transition is invaluable. Providing it can be difficult and expensive, especially if you want to maximize access, assure fairness, and prevent misuse. This session demonstrates a free open source based solution that requires only a $100 device per access point (AP). These devices, using only the cellular network, can be dropped anywhere, and can be powered by AC, batteries, or solar. Many AP devices can be centrally configured, managed and monitored from a cloud portal (also free). They provide simple per-user authentication and per-user usage controls. In addition, the system can provide geo-location services. The key criteria for this platform are cost and ease of setup and use. A user can purchase the AP hardware from a variety of sources, and download a free software image for the device. They then insert a cellular SIM card in each AP, and power it up. At that point they can log in to a cloud portal, where they can set up, control, manage and monitor users for an unlimited number of APs. No training is required. Once the hardware is in hand, a multi-node wifi network can be deployed in less than an hour. This platform can be mobile or fixed.
Learners to Leaders: Youth Entrepreneurship Education Reimagined View Digital Media
Innovation Showcase Maria Rosario T. De Guzman, Molly Brandt, Surin Kim
Entrepreneurship is commonly hailed as a catalyst for bolstering the economic vitality of communities and fostering income generation for businesses. At its essence, entrepreneurship embodies an ethos centered on value creation, innovation, and proactive problem-solving. Consequently, entrepreneurship holds the potential to cultivate innovative solutions to diverse challenges and to enhance value across various spheres beyond the realm of business. Learners to Leaders: Entrepreneurship Reimagined comprises a suite of programs developed by Nebraska Extension, the outreach arm of the US land-grant university system, designed to immerse participants in the entrepreneurial framework. This presentation spotlights three flagship programs: "UpStarts: From Classroom to Boardroom," which empowers high school youth (ages 14-19) to serve as consultants for local rural businesses; "Youth Arise," engaging youth (age 10-15) as community leaders addressing civic and societal issues through an entrepreneurial lens; and "Hand Crafted," fostering collaboration between adult learners, immigrant communities, and long-term residents through crafts and arts to establish sustainable businesses. Each program underscores how the entrepreneurial process and mindset, emphasizing opportunity identification, data-driven decision-making, iterative learning, and continuous innovation, transcend traditional business boundaries to offer versatile solutions for sustainability and growth. Moreover, the three programs are dedicated to nurturing positive youth development (e.g., positive decision-making, self-esteem) and fostering social support and a sense of connection to the community. This further illustrates the potential for entrepreneurship education not only to drive economic growth but also to support individual and community-based outcomes by empowering participants with essential life skills and fostering strong community ties.
