1. Pine Technical College Internet 2 Achievements: Engaging the Two-Year College in the K-20 Initiative

2. PTC: Overview • Two-year technical college - - AS, AAS degrees, certificates, diplomas in technical disciplines • Part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system • Rural area of the state

3. PTC: Overview • Regional facts: • Degree attainment below state average • College participation below state and national average • Per capita income only slightly higher than Puerto Rico • Smallest stand-alone college in system: 420 FYEs, 1600 headcount

4. PTC: Relationships • Shared degree programs with other colleges via distance learning • Shared AA offering • Multi-site social worker program • Course-sharing for efficiency and cost-effectiveness • Strong commitment to technology solutions

5. PTC: Relationships • Curriculum, courses and technology sharing with regional K-12 districts • PTC courses to area high schools • PTC as telecom hub for 12 districts • PTC as Internet 2 conduit for teachers

6. PTC: Relationships • Statewide college connections • Member of 2 of 4 MnSCU Centers of Excellence (Manufacturing & Allied Health) • Involved with U of Minnesota Digital Technology Center

7. PTC: Relationships • Economic development and social mission • Regional Manufacturing Alliance • Regional Early Childhood programming • House both Chamber of Commerce and regional welfare-to-work initiative

8. PTC: Infrastructure • High level of bandwidth into building (gigabit-plus level) • Hub for data and ITV for 12 school districts • Hub for regional college consortium • Hub for community fiber backbone with FTTP in local industrial park

9. PTC: Technology Flagship • Founded only Virtual Reality Center in 2-year college in Midwest • Applied research and product development: affordable immersive VR on PC platform for education & training applications • VR applicability to distance learning and applied research through Internet 2 • Basis for partnership with universities, including UM

11. PTC: Technology Flagship • Awards from MnSCU System for IT Excellence: • Fiber Optic Backbone • JCVR • Products for industry partners: • Virtual industrial spray paint booth • Virtual welding • Virtual inspection training

12. PTC and Internet 2 • Relationships with K-12 in region: • East Central Minnesota Educational Cable Cooperative (ECMECC) • 12 school districts in rural East Central Minnesota • Share resources, including common data and interactive television backbone at 1 gigabit to the premises. • Culture of using technology to enhance learning or to provide access to learning not otherwise available

13. PTC and Internet 2 • ECMECC collaborations: • Virtual field trips for K-12 students • Wolf Center at Ely, MN • Cincinnati Zoo • Classes with Vanderbilt University • Joint classes with Japanese schools including joint band concert • Access through gigabit network to Internet 2 resources via hub at Pine Tech

14. PTC and Internet 2 • Partnerships with U of Minnesota and gigapop: • Virtual reality collaboration • National Science Foundation grant • Minnesota grants for application of VR to industrial uses • Legislative demonstrations of VR and Internet 2 with UM and Iowa

15. PTC and Internet 2 • Partnerships with industry related to Internet 2 initiative • Improved infrastructure at college = • ‘Bulk buying’ of bandwidth at discount by combining needs of several public sector entities • Installation of Pine City fiber backbone • FTTP into industrial park • Affordable rate broadband to major industry users

16. PTC and the Internet 2 • Complete win-win scenario for all parties: • K-12 received higher bandwidth at lower cost • City, county government acquired broadband • PTC students networked city hall to take advantage • Cost savings for broadband Internet for government, healthcare, education, industry in region • Created grassroots support for infrastructure improvement

17. PTC and Internet 2 • Infrastructure improvement empowered and enabled greater K-12 access and use • Gigabit network to each school district • Access through PTC hub to Internet 2 • Snowball effect in terms of teacher usage • Now ‘under the radar’ - - school tech directors handle Internet 2 projects without need for coordination or special help

18. Two-Year Colleges and the K-20 Initiative: The World through a Different Lens • Two-year college mission imperatives and market niche: • Community focus • Economic development emphasis • Technical, occupational, career programs • Access and outreach to the under-served • Recent (since 2000) and intense emphasis on Web-based learning

19. The World through a Different Lens • More competitive market dynamic: • Other two-year colleges • Universities • Private or proprietary schools • Advent of web-based programs • Often viewed as a zero-sum game • Competition plays itself out on battlefield of the Web • Enlightened self-interest as motivator

20. The World through a Different Lens • Two-year colleges as regional facilitators for infrastructure needed for K-12 usage • Savings to the college and partners • Enhanced penetration into high school market • Translates directly to competitive edge • Creation of regional WANs • Advance economic development mission

21. The World through a Different Lens • Current perceived crises: 1. Retirement of technical workforce vs. Fewer numbers in pipeline to replace • Increasing demands for services vs. Decreasing state support