Dr. Ronnie B. Lowenstein has pioneered the use of interactive technologies and partnerships to promote education and economic empowerment since 1980. She has focused on harnessing technology and partnerships through initiatives like NetGeneration of Youth (NGY), which she launched in 1999 to promote digital empowerment, media literacy, and youth leadership. NGY has expanded internationally and uses projects, virtual visits, and scholarships to cultivate youth as 21st century leaders committed to shaping a positive global future.

1. rbl50@aol.com
Often called "a Visionary & Weaver," Dr. Ronnie B. Lowenstein has since 1980 been a
pioneer of interactive technologies and telecommunication as tools of transformation and
partnership development as the strategy of change. Throughout a career spanning research,
policy and practice, she has fostered innovation, systems thinking and systemic reform within and
among institutions. Whether serving as a Consultant to public or private institutions nationally or
internationally, or Staff to Congressional Leaders, Dr Lowenstein focuses on harnessing
technology and partnerships to promote education and economic empowerment and to cultivate
youth as leaders in a global and digital age.
Since 1996, she co-authored four books on Partnership Development, conducted
partnership training workshops on behalf of NASA and other government and community
agencies, as well as facilitated the opening of 11 Community Technology Centers in three
boroughs in New York City. She then helped them secure over 6 million dollars of partnership
programs and services to expand impact and foster sustainability. In 2002, in recognition of her
efforts, she was awarded the first National Partnership Award by NASA Glenn Research Center.
From 1997-2006, she collaborated with the Congressional Black Caucus Education Braintrust to
produce an annual two day conference that spotlighted critical reform issues in Education Policy
and Practice and provided Congressional TEC (Technology to Empower Community) Awards to
Pioneering Leaders and Exemplar Private Public Technology Partnerships. Since 2006, she has
served on NASA’s Education Partnership Committee and NASA’s ISS Task Force for Education.
In 1999, she launched NetGeneration of Youth (NGY) as a digital empowerment and youth
leadership initiative addressing media literacy, civic engagement and youth expression. Since
then, she has promoted the NGY model with organizations in the US and abroad who share a
commitment to cultivating youth as 21st
century leaders who are civically engaged, culturally
aware, empowered with global competencies & committed to shaping a positive global future.
See the narrative on the NGY initiative below:

2.
Organizational
Mission:
Begun
in
1999
as
a
response
to
the
digital
divide,
with
the
encouragement
of
former
Congressman
Major
Owens,
NetGeneration
of
Youth
(NGY)
was
launched
as
a
digital
empowerment
and
youth
leadership
initiative
targeting
traditionally
underserved
communities
across
the
US.
Since
then,
the
NGY
inquiry
and
project
based
learning
model
has
been
adopted
by
schools
and
organizations
in
the
US
and
abroad
that
share
a
commitment
to
cultivating
youth
as
21st
century
leaders
who
are
civically
engaged,
culturally
aware,
empowered
with
global
competencies
&
committed
to
shaping
a
positive
global
future.
Using
state
of
the
art
technologies,
best
practice
demonstration
models
have
evolved
a
NGY
Global
Community
of
Practice
that
empowers
educators
as
pioneering
designers
of
21st
century
teaching
and
learning
and
a
network
of
NGY
Ambassador
Clubs
that
inspire
youth
to
aspire,
academically
achieve,
and
pursue
career
paths
as
the
next
generation
of
explorers,
scientists,
engineers,
innovators,
and
ambassadors
shaping
a
positive
future.
Educational
Activities:
NGY
programs
have
expanded
internationally
to
schools
in
the
United
Kingdom,
the
United
Arab
Emirates,
Canada,
Uganda,
Zambia,
South
Africa,
Cyprus
and
throughout
the
USA,
empowering
educators
as
designers
of
21st
century
learning
and
inspiring
youth
through
the
global
network
of
NGY
Ambassador
Clubs.
Some
of
the
best
practice
initiatives
include:
• Since
2008-­‐
NGY
have
conducted
NGY
Virtual
Visits
to
link
the
adult
educators
and
their
youth
to
peers
and
role
model-­‐experts
around
the
world.
The
‘visits’
have
become
powerful
catalysts
for
cultivating
youth
as
global
citizens,
media
literate,
and
stem
enabled
learners
and
leaders
committed
to
shaping
a
better
future.
• Since
2008,
NGY
–National
Student
Leadership
Scholarships
have
been
awarded
annually
to
NGY
Scholars
to
attend
NSLC
Summer
Institutes
held
on
college
campuses
to
foster
leadership
development
&
career
exploration
in
areas
of
International
Diplomacy,
Engineering
and
Journalism,
and
Cybersecurity—To
date,
84
youth
have
received
scholarships
valued
at
over
$300,000.
• Spring
2013:
The
NGY
Global
Community
of
Practice
partnered
with
the
global
think
tank,
The
Millennium
Project
to
engage
youth
in
systematic
study
of
how
the
Global
Future
Lessons
aligned
to
both
International
Baccalaureate
and
U
S
Common
Core
Standards:.
“
NGY
Investigating
15
Global
Challenges
using
Millennium
Project’s
Global
Futures
Intelligence
System.”
• 2011-­‐2012
Global
NetGeneration
of
Youth
STEM
Leadership
Challenge:
Using
theme
of
robotics,
NGY
students
from
NGY
Clubs
around
the
world
were
inspired
to
serve
as
members
of
Global
Virtual
First
Responder
Teams
&
NGY
Cyber-­‐journalist
Teams
and
collaboratively
addressed
a
simulated
global
earthquake
disaster
over
the
Internet.
• 2008-­‐2010
“Global
NGY
Cyber-­‐journalists
Investigating
Careers
of
NASA
ISS
Leaders,
“
a
demonstration
project
of
the
International
Space
Station
National
Laboratory
designed
in
response
to
an
invitation
by
NASA
Education
Task
Force.
• 2010-­‐2011
U.S.
Department
of
State
Global
Connections
and
Exchange-­‐
Africa:
Cultivating
NetGeneration
of
Youth
as
Global
Citizens
and
Media
Literate
Leaders-­‐
Technology
enabled
collaboration
between
high
schools
in
the
U.S.
and
high
schools
in
South
Africa,
Uganda,
&
Zambia.