Issue 9 2019

Acquisition International - Issue 9 2019 63 Aug19082 As technology becomes more and more advanced, the children of today are becoming increasingly proficient in accessing all that the Internet has to offer. Unfortunately, not all of that is ideal for children, and American company Bridg-IT understand that. Having created an award-winning preventative solution for cyberbullying, join us as we examine exactly why this firm’s work is so vital in protecting young people online. ridg-IT is a social safety network that reinvents how to communicate, build and sustain a positive school culture and safe learning environment. Providing school leaders with a real- time data and analysis of student safety and wellness, this company offers the first pro-active set of digital communication tools that are designed to prevent bullying and other at-risk behaviors. Unique to the industry, Bridg-IT has created its own proprietary standard of behavioural measurement, patenting a streamlined incident management and problem resolution process for restorative discipline. The anti-bullying solution addresses the lifecycle of incidents from detection right through to resolution. It is a digital solution that is time-sensitive for staff, gives a much-needed voice to students and incorporates the whole school community in an effort to improve school atmospheres. The platform Bridg-IT School is designed to alert, record, track, and notify those in authority of potential incidents regarding harassment, bullying, or defamation in all forms. Offering data-focused and confidential reporting, the platform can help build student trust and increase student communication, which in turn increases the ability of school leaders to identify students early, who are at risk of harm and self-harm. With the tool providing a data gathering system, clients can access measurement dashboards for visual representation of student progress. Bridg-IT’s platform highlights the areas of growth and areas for change based on real time data collection. The data analytics that drive the system understands areas of success and areas of improvement that are required to create positive climates in schools nationwide. Any and all communication regarding students’ information and area of concern is secure. The confidential management system allows an administrator to seamlessly respond to incoming incidents, whilst providing digital support and resources. The tool also enables regular safety assessments to understand where fear and disconnectedness reside, sorting results by grade and gender. Promotion of positive climates is essential in the Bridg-IT system. This is achieved through communication of successes on news feeds, shows of gratitude to students, broadcasting student positivity and engagement via livestreams, and enabling innovative technology to reinforce schoolwide behavioural changes. Given the company’s resounding success across the United States, Bridg-IT has garnered international interest from Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ireland, Turkey, Israel and South Korea. By having a School Platform Seizes Success B Company: Bridg-IT LLC Contact: Ian Ehrenberg Website: www.bridgit.com global digital footprint, more and more school districts across the world would understand the value of a positive culture and climate in a safe learning environment for all young people. For one Brooklyn middle school, the results were clear. They saw an eleven percent increase in standardised testing performance, as well as twenty-five percent decrease in student absence, a fifty percent decrease in bullying incidents, and a sixty-seven percent decrease in suspensions. These results were attained after two years of successfully implementing the Bridg-IT platform. Ultimately, Bridg-IT has been successful due to the dedication, focus and concern for students. With a team of highly-trained clinical psychologists, educational clinicians, academic scholars, researchers, student interns and customer support staff, collaboration is key to address the myriad of goals each unique school wants to achieve. “...Bridg-IT has created its own proprietary standard of behavioural measurement, patenting a streamlined incident management and problem resolution process for restorative discipline.”