Rick Bolander: Kajeet’s Support of Right Back on Track (Part Two)

Part One of this article discussed the mission and municipal partners of the New York City Dropout and Truancy Prevention Network's (DTPN) Right Back on Track Mentoring program. Kajeet, a technology company focused on the emerging need for kids’ smartphones, is engaged with the program as a partner. The DTPN initiative emphasizes phone-based coaching and mentoring as a way of motivating at-risk teenagers to stay in school. Participating students carry mobile devices with them that have full text, data, and talk capacities. If they do not show up for classes and events as expected, the assigned mentor reaches out to the student through the phone and checks his or her location and expected arrival time. The strength of the program is that it combines the power of a mentoring relationship with greater communication capabilities. Kajeet assists in DTPN’s battle against student truancy by offering cost-effective, contract-free communications options. Augmenting its patented parental online controls are satellite-enabled device locators that allow parents to keep track of their children’s whereabouts. Rick Bolander, a leader at Kajeet, fully supports the company’s efforts in providing teenagers with empowering technologies.