Polycom,
Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based
unified communications (UC), today announced that the Southeast Kansas
Education Service Center at Greenbush has equipped 110 classrooms
with Polycom® RealPresence® video as an innovative way to enhance the
educational experience of more than 55,000 students, staff,
administrators, and lifelong learners in Kansas and three other states.
“Kansas is very rural and students in smaller communities do not have
access to the same learning activities that are available to kids in
more affluent urban areas,” said Lisa Blair, Director of Student
Learning at Greenbush. “We turned to Polycom’s video collaboration
solution to create a distance learning program, enabling educational
opportunities for students in these rural areas. Deploying RealPresence
video systems in the classrooms and the RealPresence Platform in the
network, school districts can now pool their resources and deliver
innovative and enriching content to students. Budget cuts have left
rural schools with very basic offerings, but through distance learning
we’re able to provide advanced and elective classes.” Kansas, like many
states, has lost more than 250 teachers statewide in the last few years
due to education budget cuts. Distance learning helps provide quality
educational opportunities for students despite the loss in funds and
services.
Polycom is the video collaboration standard in the state of Kansas.
Polycom-based distance learning classes are offered daily at elementary,
middle, and high schools throughout the state. Greenbush offers a large
number of elementary academic programs that help students learn and help
schools meet rigorous standards in science, math, and social studies.
Staff and administrative meetings are also held on the Greenbush
Interactive Distance Learning Network. School districts have realized
significant cost savings by offering teacher training and professional
development via live video. In total, 55,000 to 60,000 individuals
participate in events on the Greenbush network every year. The network
extends beyond Kansas, delivering educational opportunities to students
in Arkansas, Missouri, and Ohio.
Carol Woolbright, past director of the Greenbush Network and current
director of the Chinese Language Program, explained that the decision to
standardize on Polycom was based on a number of factors, including ease
of use, and the efficiency and flexibility of the overall Polycom
solution.