Technology For The Greater Good

The Humana Foundation launched the American Horsepower Challenge this April, a game that seeks to motivate students by means of virtual competition.

It works like this: Students get small pedometers to wear on their shoes. Each pedometer records the number of steps taken and wirelessly transmits the data to a receiver at the school; the information is then assembled and displayed on a Web site, http://www.horsepowergame.com, where kids can track their own steps and the collective steps of their classmates.

It’s like a horse race, with the kids as the horses: Each participant gets an avatar, or online character, to personalize and to race. Competing classrooms are represented as school buses racing around the world, and the Web site delivers history and geography lessons along with the step count.

Humana tried the idea last year in Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby; the current challenge is open to more than 2,000 fifth- and sixth-graders from various states. The schools that were chosen include a significant number of students from lower-income communities.

This story is a great example of innovative technology improving lives. Since the data is accessible from anywhere, participants are constantly tracking their progress in real time, making for a more interactive and enjoyable experience.

One of Progressive Technology’s focus is making your information readily available, secure, and easily accessible. Because if you can work just as effectively when you are away from your desk as when sitting in front of it, you might be able to get a few more steps in yourself.

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