Comcast recently held a community Digital Resource Fair on Sept 22, 2023. The fair had a lot of information and resources for parents and community members about internet safety and how to connect and use the internet. It also introduced its Digital Navigator program for the aging population in Eagle Mountain. The event also paid tribute to Principal Becar of Frontier Middle School.
During the event, they interviewed Principal Jarom Becar. Here are some parts and pieces of that interview. The interview was shared with Cedar Valley Sentinel by Comcast.
Principal Frontier Middle School – Go Mustangs!
Q: What is this event all about?
A: It’s a community digital resource fair where we’ve got families invited to come get ready for school and some tips and tricks for parents specifically to be able to help monitor their kids online, taking precautions to be aware of what’s happening with their kids on their phones, on computers, and doing the best that we can as a community to support those families.
Q: Tell me about this town.
A: …Eagle Mountain to me is what I call home. Just before we got married, we put money down to build a home in City Center in 2003. We moved here in 2004 and have been here ever since. So over the last 20 years, we’ve seen a lot of growth and a lot of neat amenities that have also transitioned for us as what we call children. And as our family has grown, we’ve.
Back in 2004 when we moved in, it was Lehi Main Street, and you were frustrated when the train would come by and back up everything all the way to the freeway. And that was really the only way in and out of town. As Pioneer Crossing, the Mountain View Corridor, [and] the expansion of Redwood Road, allowed the influx of kids and families to fill our valley…now the need [for] jobs and resources that extend beyond the roads has been great. So we’ve seen different opportunities. It wasn’t necessarily just the city utilities that we could use. Our first house the first year we were hauling our own trash to dumpsters around. [The] Internet is one of those resources that’s been impacted for the area.
Q: What is digital literacy, and why is it important for a community to have digital literacy?
A: I think in a lot of ways, what the kids are exposed to online and digitally is noise in a lot of ways, but to get through that noise, to find their own voice and their own understanding, is an important, powerful lens to see who they are. There’s so much information out there. There’s so much content that’s being developed and created as well. But how they can create a way to stand and be seen and be heard and understand and filter through all of the information? It’s pretty important.
I think it’s powerful that we’ve got businesses like Comcast that are coming in to support families. This was the first year we handed out Chromebooks in a one-to-one initiative passed down from the state and from the district, and really bridging the resources to families was so important. As we talk [about] digital literacy, specifically allowing students to see and understand who they are online, this is a relatively new feature, and for me, going to middle school, this was very different. So I think we’re raising a generation [with] a specific need and an undetermined path to get there. And using businesses and resources to help us bridge that gap of where we want our kids to be and how to be competent and to be seen.
“…Today [we are] celebrating Mr. Becar. He’s the principal here at Frontier Middle School, and he really is a community champion for making sure that the kids of our community get the resources that they need…we’re really excited to be [recognizing] him today with this special award and [for] all of the efforts that he has put into the kids of our community… He can barely talk about the students of the school without getting teared up because he loves them so much… I think it’s neat to have a principal that cares that much about the kids of our community. Those kids know that he’s always in their corner and making sure that good things are available to them.”
Melisa Clark – President of the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.