Cisco: Education is the Key to Recovery

A VARIETY OF PROJECTS BENEFIT SCHOOLS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA

We first heard about the 21st Century Schools Program (21S) when Char Andrews, part of the CUX award-winning Cisco L&D team, told us that she was heading to Louisiana to help with a special Cisco program to help build a world-class education system in Louisiana and Mississippi. The 21S initiative aims to transform the approach to learning, creating a 21st century education model that improves the quality of education, prepares students with 21st century skills, and creates a foundation for economic opportunities and community success. Cisco believes that if it can be done in the Gulf Coast, it can be replicated across the country or around the globe.

Does it sound aspirational? It is clearly a big endeavor. Cisco has committed $40 million to this impressive program -- 50 percent of its investment in cash, and the other half in in-kind time, expertise and equipment. The cash contribution will be distributed to local schools through a grant program run through each school districts' respective foundation. Cisco's in-kind contribution includes ten "21S Fellows" or Cisco employees, deployed in the Gulf Coast area on a full-time basis for three years. The 21S Fellows are providing consulting and a range of expertise in educational governance, curriculum development, teacher training, e-learning and the use of technology in schools. Each Fellow is deployed for a year at a time, leaving home and families to relocate for a year.

Cisco's 21S initiative is a blueprint for reconstructing and improving schools that can be replicated across the country. The first phase of the 21S program began in Mississippi with the Mississippi Education Initiative (MEI) and includes seven school districts and 33 schools, reaching more than 20,000 students. The second phase of the 21S program-dubbed the Louisiana Education Initiative (LEI)- began with eight schools within the Jefferson Parish Public School System, reaching 5,200 students. Cisco's investment in the 21S program includes technology solutions aimed at improving student outcomes and economic growth opportunities for specific schools and communities in the selected schools. The technology provided will include highly secure broadband networks that foster better communication between schools, parents, local businesses and the community.

"This is an opportunity to show how technology can improve education and help to make our students competitive on the worldwide stage," says Bill Fowler, Cisco's Executive Director of the 21S Initiative explains. "This isn't technology for technology's sake; it's being used to improve the lives of students and their communities. The ultimate goal of the 21S Initiative is to build a 21st century education model that is scalable and replicable, in the future, and in other communities."

As the program moves ahead, Fowler is looking forward to seeing the students become more actively engaged in their schools. "Our goal is to help build a foundation for economic growth and community development that will provide young people who stay in the region real prospect." Fowler stated.

As the foundation for community engagement and development, the 21S team has partnered with One Economy, a Cisco non-profit partner, to bring affordable computer and Internet access to the families involved with the schools. In addition to improving communication between parents and schools, this program will provide distance learning and adult education opportunities to help individuals in the communities gain new skills.

"These schools are already doing incredible work simply in recovering from the hurricane - and yet they are committed and are embracing the effort necessary to make real sustained transformational change happen," Fowler says. "If we succeed, we will have proven a model that can be scaled, replicated and sustained in schools everywhere. What could be better?"