Big Apple Giving Back to Startups

New York City is touted as always being a step ahead of other large metropolitan areas in all types of areas including fashion, theatre and art. But did you know that technology startup companies are now attempting to open the doors to their newly launched businesses in the greatest city of them all with a little help from those in leadership positions in the region?

Mayor Bloomberg (News - Alert) has stepped up to the plate, recently revealing that in order to reduce the complexity associated with gaining access to available government services easier that companies just trying to get off the ground may not even be aware of, We Are Made in NY was launched. The intuitive Web platform is said to encompass an abundance of “tech-related resources offered by the city of New York from across various city agencies, offering information on free tech classes, tech-focused schools, funding for startups, the competition for a free fiber build-out, support for immigrant entrepreneurs and funding for training your employees.”

Just today, news broke that The Education Technology Incubator has been launched, which enables firms in the education space located in the Big Apple (News - Alert) to gain access to all of FurtherEd’s resources in its Financial District office. This announcement falls in line with the city’s goal of garnering attention from a wider breath of companies who previously might have been formed in other areas including the Silicon Valley.

 David Schnurman, CEO of FurtherEd, said in a statement, “Society is at the doorstep of the most significant change since the Industrial Revolution (News - Alert). Education and technology will be at the forefront of this movement.”

FurtherEd's facility comprises nearly 8,400 square feet of space that can be utilized by companies to see success now and in the future as well as collaborate on ideas with colleagues.

As the time passes, education and technological innovations helping to make it easier to learn as well as teach are becoming more and more intertwined. As students are likely more interested in their smartphones than what their teacher is standing in front of the class lecturing about, those in teaching positions are being forced to readjust their strategies.

According to a recent report featured on TMCnet, “An intrinsic part of education is making the students want to learn, not compelled to study. No matter how much energy you spend making a thoughtful, easily understood lesson plan, it doesn’t matter one bit if you can’t maintain their focus.”

New tactics to keep the focus of these adolescents that are strongly suggested include virtual field trips, seamlessly integrating social media within lesson plans and teaching these youngsters life skills that pertain to digital media.