A welcome from Gene Longo, Senior Manager of U.S. Cisco Networking Academy Program Field Operations

Last month, the Cisco Networking Academy Program kicked off its 10th year in the United States by recognizing some of the first year Academies, or “Pioneers” as we call them, who have been with the program since the very beginning. As we look back over the last decade, it’s hard to believe that in such a short time, we’ve grown into such a diverse, worldwide program. During that time, we’ve invested over $200 million into the program, helped to educate over 2 million graduates, and are currently enrolling approximately 450,000 students annually.

Like any successful program, we have evolved over these 10 years to address the industry and the needs of our customers. And we will continue to evolve in new and exciting ways over the next 10 years. Right now, we’re shifting our focus from our Academy growth to improving student outcomes. We’re tailoring our courseware to fit individual student situations, moving away from the “one size fits all” approach. And we’re increasing our focus on professional development for instructors. Obviously, we’re thrilled about the direction in which these changes will take us. Read the full story.

Introducing the New CCNA Curricula

The Cisco Networking Academy Program is pleased to announce the next generation of the CCNA® curricula. These new curricula have been designed to address a changing marketplace and respond to input from administrators, instructors, and students.

To learn more about CCNA-A and CCNA-B, please watch this informative video.

Read the full story.

Certification Magazine: Cisco Networking Academy Program and SCTE Announce Partnership

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and Cisco Systems have announced that SCTE has become part of the Cisco Networking Academy Program. As a result, SCTE now is authorized to include certain Cisco networking curricula in its professional development offerings.

“The SCTE board of directors and the board’s professional development committee have committed the Society to elevating the level of knowledge in networking technologies,” said SCTE Vice President for Professional Development Marv Nelson. “Being able to offer networking curriculum such as that provided through Cisco’s Networking Academy Program is a huge first step toward achieving that goal.”

Read the Certification Magazine story.

Read the Cisco press release.

U.S. Academy Conference 2007—Save the Date

We are pleased to announce the following dates and locations for U.S. Academy Conference 2007:

• Austin, Texas—June 18 to 20, 2007
• Cleveland, Ohio—July 9 to 11, 2007
• Long Beach, California—July 16 to 18, 2007

The Academy conferences give you the opportunity to get the latest updates on the U.S. Networking Academy program and global strategy. These conferences also provide an opportunity to train on new products and resources, network with colleagues, and share best practices. We hope to see you there!

Best Practices in Offering Networking Academy Curricula for Honors Credit

In today’s global economy, graduating students have unprecedented access to a full range of high-paying IT jobs, but may not have the skills required by these jobs, as outlined in a report issued by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. One of the solutions, proposed by the Association for Career and Technical Educators (ACTE) in their issue brief, CTE's Role in American Competitiveness, stresses not only the need for more rigor in high school, but also the need for a relevant context for learning.

For the past 10 years, the Cisco Networking Academy Program has provided a learning model for building 21st century success for students. Now, in recognition of the program’s academic rigor and relevance, many schools are designating it as a honors credit course. Three case studies share best practices and benefits from integrating Networking Academy curricula in their honors programs.

Download and read the Honors Credit data sheet.

Increasing Cisco Networking Academy Program Integration into Four-Year Degree Programs at Colleges and Universities

In a recent survey of four-year higher education institutions across the United States, Cisco Networking Academy Program curricula were found to have been integrated into a variety of degree programs.

Of the 31 colleges and universities surveyed, 26 responded that they were now offering Networking Academy courses as part of their degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and business. Some of these programs had also secured accreditation for engineering and technology programs (ABET), information technology programs (NAIT), and business programs (AACSB).

Download and read the data sheet.

Iowa Regional Academy Meeting Reveals Best Practices

On October 26, 2006, Representatives from all eight of Iowa’s regional Networking Academies gathered at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny, Iowa, for a day-long event held dedicated to sharing best practices, learning from Cisco‘s systems engineers, and educating the Iowa Department of Education about the Cisco Networking Academy Program.

We encourage you to review and apply some of the successes and best practices that were shared at the event. Read the full story.

Announcing the First Virtual Field Trip Video

We are building a library of Virtual Field Trip offerings as part of the Promoting IT Careers initiative, which helps students, parents, guidance counselors, and others explore the landscape of IT and networking careers.

The Virtual Field Trips will encourage students to consider careers in information technology and help them understand the specific skill sets that are required to prepare for and excel at these careers.

Visit the Virtual Field Trip Website at http://www.cisco.com/go/virtualfieldtrip to view the first video that has been developed. Additional resources are available on the site to assist instructors in building lessons around the video.

Network World IT Careers and Training Newsletter: UMass Amherst Aims to Develop Tech-Savvy Next-Generation Workforce

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is aiming to build a next-generation workforce that is tech-savvy and better able to collaborate with IT pros to use technology in innovative ways. The university offers IT as a minor to students outside of the computer science and engineering field. In the last two years, 85 new UMass Amherst students per year take IT classes as part of their major programs. Interestingly, the technology classes are given by faculty members of the students’ major programs, rather than by computer science teachers, so that students learn about technology as it fits into their chosen fields.