WASHINGTON, DC -- February 16, 1998 -- Colin L. Powell pledged today to help the nation's largest stay-in-school network expand into "every community, every state" because that network, Communities In Schools, is crucial to providing children with the fundamental life needs advocated by the group he chairs, America's Promise - the Alliance for Youth.
"I want to be your partner because I know what you do works," Powell told the 800 people attending the Communities In Schools national conference.
"We're going to get the doors open for you. We're going to say, 'Colin Powell says, "you stand at attention -- Communities In Schools wants to talk to you."'"
Communities In Schools, which champions the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life, includes 137 local and state operations in 30 states. "CIS builds that bond between schools and communities," as Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend told the group.
America's Promise - the Alliance for Youth is the follow-up organization to the Presidents' Summit for America's Future held last April in Philadelphia. Its goal is to provide access to five "fundamental resources" to two million additional young people by the end of the year 2000. The resources are: a caring relationship with a caring adult, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start, a marketable skill and a chance to give back to peers and community.
The CIS conference was an occasion for other national groups, including corporations and nonprofit education and community groups, to firm up plans to work together through Communities In Schools to help accomplish the goals through a new group called "America's Promise In Schools."
Acknowledging that school administrators themselves have to begin to think of themselves as community leaders, Dr. Paul D. Houston, president of the 16,000-member American Association of School Administrators, said that nonetheless, "All we're doing at AASA is trying to support the work that Communities In Schools is doing."
Others present to support the America's Promise - Communities In Schools alliance included the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Family Education Company, the Council of Great City Schools, the National School Boards Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among others.
During his keynote address, Powell, retired general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, introduced John P. Morgridge, chairman of Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet.
One of the company's major educational efforts is Cisco Networking Academies, a new program to teach and certify high school and college students to design, build and maintain computer networks capable of supporting national and global organizations.
When General Powell and other America's Promise leaders heard of the Cisco Networking Academies, they believed it could be a model program for the goals of America's Promise. Said Powell today, "What Cisco is doing is helping our children find a better future in this great land of ours."
Morgridge announced his commitment to a partnership with America's Promise and Communities in Schools to bring the Cisco Networking Academies program to high schools and community colleges across the country.
Said Morgridge, "Cisco has always understood the value of human capital. Educating human beings is the most important asset at our company. Re-stimulating an interest in science and technology is a stepping stone not only to excellent jobs, but to lifelong learning." Morgridge noted that he has made a commitment to General Powell and America's Promise to have 2,000 Networking Academies by Fall of 1999.
The Cisco Networking Academies program, officially launched this past October, is designed to address head-on the current shortage of Information Technology workers in the U.S. Students who complete the four semesters of specially developed curriculum and certification testing are ready to begin working in the IT field with an estimated starting salary of $35,000-45,000 annually.
A recent Department of Commerce study shows that there are approximately 190,000 unfilled IT positions in this country alone.
Currently, there are approximately 150 Cisco Networking Academies operational in high schools and community colleges in 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. By the end of this year, the program is expected to be in all 50. More information about Cisco Networking Academies can be found at http://www.cisco.com/edu/academies/index.html
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