The 2007–08 school year has been a wonderful time for us at Cisco to reflect upon and celebrate a decade of success with your students and instructors. It has also provided us with an opportunity for us to visit many states and recognize the impact Cisco Networking Academy has had on the lives of so many individuals. As we look toward the future, we believe Networking Academy will prepare students for careers in the 21^st Century and help foster economic development.

All of the new Networking Academy curricula help prepare students for industry certifications. One of our fastest growing curricula, IT Essentials: PC Software and Hardware, helps prepare students for the popular CompTIA A+ certification. Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician (CCENT), our newest certification, was introduced in our new Cisco CCNA Discovery curriculum. Both the CompTIA A+ and CCENT certifications help you, as state leaders, demonstrate your students’ mastery of the skills learned in our curriculum. And of course both CCNA Discovery and CCNA Exploration curricula help prepare students for the industry-recognized CCNA certification.

The implementation of the Networking Academy in the United States is unique compared to the rest of the world. An equal portion of students enrolled come from high schools and community colleges. This comes as no surprise to many of us. But if we step back, we can appreciate how this trend in student enrollment helps build those links from secondary to postsecondary education that are important to support career pathways. We are tracking many examples in which students gain honors credit or articulated credit or, through dual-enrollment programs, advance into college. This development is extremely important for our nation as we work to rebuild the student pipeline in information technology at both secondary and postsecondary levels, so that we can stay economically competitive in the global economy.

In this newsletter you’ll see how some states are creating interesting models and opportunities for students. As I travel across the country, I hear so many great stories and I always take them back to share with my team and our corporate leaders. Please drop me an e-mail at glongo@cisco.com and tell me how Networking Academy is helping you achieve your state goals, or how we can help in the future!

Best regards,

Gene

Gene Longo is senior manager of the Cisco Networking Academy field operations in the United States and has worked in the education technology field nearly 25 years.