Lab Setup
The lab location requires a network infrastructure, security, and
climate control. A dedicated Cisco lab is ideal to give instructors
more flexibility and more instructional time. Instructors can decorate
the lab with motivational and instructional wall hangings, and students
can access the lab more often to study. Most high schools, colleges
and large training facilities have campus buildings suitable for
labs and often share labs with other programs.
Community-based Networking Academies have additional considerations
for location to meet the needs of their clients.
Washington Heights
Convenience-When a lab is located in the community, travel
to and from class is not a burden.
Visibility-Locating the lab in an area with a lot of foot
traffic helps recruitment. People are curious about the activity
and ask how to get involved.
Security-Local security or law enforcement officials can
offer advice on securing the equipment in the lab. In some areas,
a storefront deters crime, because it is highly visible. In other
areas, "out of sight, out of mind" or a low profile might work best.
Shared space-Some organizations have existing computer labs
that are not used full time. Scheduling in a shared lab between
other programs saves money and helps with recruitment.
"Communities in Schools is trying to set up Local Networking Academies in
the housing authority with HUD (Housing and Urban Development),
rather than have people come here to the college to be trained.
I suggested they get their equipment ahead of time. We'd set it
up where they would be teaching and I would come there to teach
them at their location with their equipment. This way there would
be more ownership. They would be comfortable."
Dennis Quatrine
Henry Ford Community College Regional Academy
Detroit, MI
Operational since the early 1990s Community Technology Centers (CTCNet)
is a national, non-profit membership organization of more than 450
independent community technology centers where people get free or
low-cost access to computers and computer-related technology, such
as the Internet, together with learning opportunities that encourage
exploration and discovery. These centers are already in the community.
Cisco provides recommended equipment specifications for computers
used in the lab. Some Networking Academies use additional requirements to check
sites for readiness.
"I have an assessment checklist which looks at their physical
plant or room. I look at their existing network if they have one.
I look at the capability of their server, the NIC card speed, the
computer processing speed, memory and the room's electrical for
potential expansion."
Greg Murray
Communities in Schools
Detroit, MI
The Networking Academy Kit or Bundle contains the required routers and switches.
When installed on a rolling rack, they can be moved to different locations
in a building and secured when not in use.
"We're a community college with 17,000 students in a building
that was built for 10,000. People hoard space. When our Cisco enrollments
were double the capacity of the room, we decided to open another
class. The question of where and when was an issue. As soon as our
Cisco students left their class another college class came in. It
was good planning that our instructor put our server, routers and
switches on one rack. We basically rolled our Cisco training to
another lab on another floor. Since then we sell ourselves as the
21st Century version of that old cowboy gunslinger, Paladin, who
went around the country fighting crime. 'Have rack, will travel.'"
Acte Maldonado, Dean
Borough of Manhattan Community College
New York, NY
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