Feature Story

October 3, 2007

Which successes of the Cisco Networking Academy give you the most satisfaction?

John Morgridge: The Cisco Networking Academy was our first philanthropic endeavor that fully leveraged Cisco's unique knowledge, equipment, and expertise. I believe no other company at that time could have created it. We recognized early that the program's success would depend on closely partnering with governments, schools, teachers, and industry peers to leverage our collective assets and capabilities. With this joint effort and strategic approach we made sure that the program was sustainable. The unique nature and sustainability combined to create what I'm most proud of-the Networking Academy's broad reach and impact. Reaching across the nation and across the world, the Academies provide education and opportunities where there was little or none, positively impacting the lives and futures of many thousands of individuals. When I hear their stories, I can't help but feel proud of what the Networking Academy has achieved.

What are your hopes for the future of the Networking Academy?

John Morgridge: The Networking Academy has come a long way in the last 10 years, but I feel we're just beginning to see the effects and impact it can make. For corporations to remain competitive in the global economy we need to continue creating and improving educational opportunities, and training our next-generation workforce. This means taking all the lessons we've learned from the past 10 years and using them to partner in new ways with governments, corporations, non-profit organizations, and schools. Together, we can create innovative approaches to dramatically improve many of the broader challenges in current education systems. We can be leaders in this movement to discover the enormous impact that systems and technology will have on improving global learning.