News for and about the Internet2 community

["Millerd, Kimberly (CPE)" <>]

KENTUCKY COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 
MID ATLANTIC GIGAPOP IN PHILADELPHIA FOR INTERNET2 (MAGPI)
JOINT NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release Date: August 28, 2008

NEW PARTNERSHIP BRINGS WORLD TO THE CLASSROOM THROUGH HIGH-TECH LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES 

(Frankfort, KY)- Kentucky teachers and students will have access to more
interactive, high-tech learning opportunities and professional
development through Internet2, thanks to a new partnership between the
University of Pennsylvania's MAGPI program and the Kentucky Regional
Optical Network (KyRON), a statewide network sponsored by the  Council
on Postsecondary Education, the University of Kentucky and the
University of Louisville. 

The Internet2 Network, a high-performance, high-bandwidth national
network specifically dedicated to research and education, is available
to the Kentucky P-20 education community through KyRON. Mid-Atlantic
Gigapop in Philadelphia for Internet2 (MAGPI) is nationally known for
its innovative approach to educational programming and is operated by
the University of Pennsylvania, a founding member of the Internet2
consortium and creator of the ENIAC, the world's first general purpose
computer.  The new partnership with MAGPI will increase the number and
variety of applications available on KyRON.    

"These new applications could let students explore the effects of HIV on
the immune system with an emergency room doctor in Pennsylvania, learn
about the operation of a modern astronomical observatory with scientists
in Hawaii, or take a guided virtual tour of Earth's polar regions with
NASA scientists, and more-all from the convenience of the classroom,"
said Lee Todd, president of the University of Kentucky.

"We are pleased that the Internet2 community recognizes the
collaboration already in place in the Kentucky P-20 community and we are
proud that KyRON is one of 23 regional network connectors to the
Internet2 Network.  This distinction has helped put Kentucky on the
national network map and enables all the applications not possible in
the commodity Internet," said James Ramsey, president of the University
of Louisville. 

 "Kentucky has made great strides in building and expanding access to
leading-edge technology for its students.   We believe the Commonwealth
is poised to become a model for other states that are working to build
strong regional networks," said Greg Palmer, director of the MAGPI/I2
Initiative at Penn.   

Under an 18-month contract, MAGPI will provide all K-20 academic
institutions in Kentucky with access to its interactive programs, as
well as assistance in developing Kentucky-specific Internet2
applications. MAGPI will also provide professional development for the
P-20 education community through workshops on the use of
videoconferencing and integration of technology applications into the
classroom, as well as through special sessions from organizations
including NASA, NOAA, the National Park Service, the Department of
Energy and the Library of Congress.  

"Access to MAGPI's outstanding programs and expertise will offer
Kentucky students and teachers learning opportunities they may not have
otherwise had due to limited resources," said Jon Draud, commissioner of
education. "These programs literally bring the world to our classrooms."

The expansion, development and training processes resulting from this
new partnership will serve as a model for other states to expand use of
Internet2 to the P-20 education community through regional networks.

        
 In addition, MAGPI will use its national and international network of
people and technologies to assist Kentucky's research institutions in
technology mapping, infrastructure consultation and grant writing by
providing specialized expertise.
        
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with MAGPI to assist
Kentucky educators in bringing their own creative ideas to life in the
classroom," said Dr. Richard Crofts, interim president of the Council on
Postsecondary Education. 
        
For more information about the Kentucky Regional Optical Network, visit
http://kyron.ky.gov. For more information about MAGPI programs, visit
http://www.magpi.org/programs/. 

Contacts:
Allen Lind  
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
Phone: (502) 573-1555 x305
E-mail: 


Shirley L. Ross                         
University of Pennsylvania                      
Phone: (215) 898-0091                                   
E-mail: