About This Site

Three students from the Department of Computer Studies at the Community College of Rhode Island created this site for the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) project.

In the spring of 2009, Michelle Collins, the Director of STEP, was looking for a way to publish instructional materials for classroom teachers who instruct students in her STEP program. Steve Kass, Public Information Officer for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), sent a request for Web site development help to Professor Anthony Bascilico of CCRI's Computer Studies Department who in turn forwarded the request to Web Development Professor, Sandra Luzzi Sneesby.

Professor Sneesby selected three highly skilled students from the Web Development program who contributed their passion and professionalism to bring this Web site to life: Manny Rebello, Brendalee Peckham and Cara Blaine. These students volunteered their time over the summer of 2009 to design, build and publish the site to the World Wide Web.

The students met with Mrs. Collins several times to formulate a plan for the site and then began to create the design and content. Combining their skills in layout, design and programming, they created a sharply designed and functional site that can be seen at: www.riema.ri.gov/step. CCRI and FEMA are very proud of the students’ contribution and what they have achieved with this project.

“The students worked extremely hard and produced a professional Web site for the STEP program. On behalf of the Computer Studies department of CCRI, I congratulate them for this noteworthy accomplishment and thank them for lending their talents.” — Professor Sandra Luzzi Sneesby

“We plan to implement the STEP program for 20,000 students in the 2009–2010 school year across New England. The site the CCRI students have created has surpassed all of our expectations and will undoubtedly be an integral resource to countless families, instructors, and school communities as they prepare their households for emergency situations” — Michelle Collins, STEP

STEP site creators