The conversations convened in this conference followed topics that e-Vermont has heard discussed at community, state and national levels:
- Establishing a New Foundation for Business in the Digital Age
- Building the Local Economy with Online Tools
- Sharing Local News: Neighborhood Forums and Citizen Journalism
- Engaging Citizens in State & Local Government
- Ensuring No Vermonter is Left Behind the Digital Divide
- Accessing Health, Medical and Social Services Online
- Bringing Technology into the Classroom
- Developing a 21st Century Workforce (k – 16)
As this report details, many creative perspectives and common themes emerged over the course of the day. Participants expressed the need for Vermont to continue its aggressive campaign to achieve universal broadband infrastructure and to pair these efforts with the two things we know make this infrastructure most effective: affordability programs and training in the skills to use it. Vermont needs to build a culture where investing in the use of appropriate technology is seen as fundamental to success for businesses, schools, organizations, individuals and communities. This culture looks like technology in every classroom and in common core standards; it looks like attention to establishing trust in the process of bringing essential services online, and like businesses who have fully integrated online tools into their most basic planning. We also need training that addresses not only fundamentals but also how local leaders, such as teachers, legislators, and parents, demonstrate through their own practices the positive impact technology can have on daily life in Vermont.