This week Cisco is proud to host 17 NetRider Champions from 13
countries around the globe at Cisco headquarters in San Jose,
California. These tech wizards are students from the Cisco
Networking Academy program who competed against more than 10,000 applicants in 85 countries. They range in age from 20 to 37.
The annual Networking Academy NetRiders competition is
an interactive networking skills contest. It utilizes Cisco’s Web 2.0
technologies to challenge students to achieve high standards of
competence, enhance classroom learning, and motivate them to further
pursue technology education and training.
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| Cisco Networking Academy NetRiders winners are visiting the Cisco San Jose, California campus from 13 countries. |
Cisco believes in educating people with new skills for life, as
well as in providing aid to those in need. Networking Academy is
Cisco’s largest and longest-running
corporate social responsibility (CSR) program; it was established in
1997 to teach IT based skills to people around the world, helping them
get good jobs and encouraging long-term,
sustainable economic growth in communities by providing highly skilled
network professionals to support local industries. The 10,000 Cisco
Academies around the world teach more than 1 million students in over
165 countries each year!
Brian Forward, the NetRider Champion from Canada, was particularly attracted to the interactive element of the competition.
“Participating means that I have had the chance to compete with the
countries’ and continents’ finest, while showcasing my talents and
skills, and enhancing them while representing my home Newfoundland,” he
said. “On a forward-looking note, it has created confidence within me that propels my learning.”
The contest is such a good way to motivate students that Tracy
Granlund from the Networking Academy Student Advocacy Team says, “We
hope to see the competition grow
to 50,000 student participants.” The winners are in California to meet
with Cisco staff and tour our offices, labs and data center; the
Stanford University campus; Intel Museum; coastal Redwoods and beaches
at Santa Cruz; and attractions in nearby San Francisco.
Source: http://blogs.cisco.com/csr/17-tech-wizards-descend-on-cisco-campus/
