Yesha Callahan

Obama To Speak At March On Washington Anniversary Ceremony At Lincoln Memorial

President Obama today unveiled a bold, new initiative called ConnectED to connect 99 percent of America’s students to the internet through high-speed broadband and high-speed wireless within 5 years, calling on the FCC to modernize and leverage its existing E-Rate program to meet that goal. The President also directed the federal government to make better use of existing funds to get Internet connectivity and educational technology into classrooms, and into the hands of teachers trained on its advantages. And he called on businesses, states, districts, schools and communities to support this vision. This ambitious initiative does not require Congressional action. “We are living in a digital age, and to help our students get ahead, we must make sure they have access to cutting-edge technology,” said President Obama. “So today, I’m issuing a new challenge for America – one that families, businesses, school districts and the federal government can rally around together – to connect virtually every student in America’s classrooms to high-speed broadband internet within five years, and equip them with the tools to make the most of it.” Preparing America’s students with the skills they need to get good jobs and compete with countries around the world will rely increasingly on interactive, individualized learning experiences driven by new technology. But today, millions of students lack high-speed broadband access and fewer than 20 percent of educators say their school’s Internet connection meets their teaching needs. ConnectED will bring high-speed Internet within their reach, with a particular benefit for rural communities that have lagged behind in connectivity. In addition to connecting America’s students, ConnectED harnesses the ingenuity of the American private sector get new technologies into students’ hands and support digital learning content. ConnectED also better invests existing federal funds to ensure that every educator in America receives support and training in using education technology tools to improve student learning. For more details on the ConnectED initiative, click HERE.

50 years ago, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led 250,000 to the National Mall in Washington, DC in a march for jobs and freedom. It was during this march that King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the memorial. The March on Washington helped pressure Congress to pass the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts in 1964 and 1965.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of King’s speech, President Barack Obama will speak later this month during the “Let Freedom Ring”  ceremony on the Lincoln Memorial steps on Aug. 28. No other details were released.

The “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony is being organized by the King Center in Atlanta. Plans include an interfaith service and ringing of bells at 3 p.m. to mark the time King delivered his speech on Aug. 28, 1963.

Below is the video for Dr. King’s historic speech:

PREVIOUS STORY

NEXT STORY

    • JN

    August 8, 2013 - Reply

    To be honest, I hope to make it that weekend.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: