ACELINK hosts Megaconference Jr. Event

On Thursday, May 19, ACELINK and IPFW hosted a FREE event to check out cutting-edge uses of the new Fort Wayne area broadband network and videoconferencing technologies. Elementary and secondary students and teachers from over 100 schools in 11 different countries were teaching and learning at the Annual Student Megaconference. We connected to Megaconference Jr. as virtual observers, and over 30 local educators, administrators, faculty and students participated in the event.

We saw presentations like a student drum line demonstration, native American Indian dancing and costumes, a tour of Barcelona, Spain, and more. We also discussed opportunities for videoconferencing in Allen County and participating in this event next year. The Megaconference Jr. presentations were typically 12-15 minutes long, with some live question and answer opportunities. For a schedule of presentations and global participants at the event, go to the conference website at: Megaconference Jr.

Foellinger Grant funds coordinator position

The Foellinger Foundation awarded the Education Consortium a generous grant for two-year project support for construction of a broadband internet connection network to build a county-wide learning community that promotes the knowledge growth, understanding and recognition of diverse strengths that can provide a basis for a dynamic civil community.

Using these grant funds, the Education Consortium, along with IPFW's Division of Continuing Studies, hired Sandy Schaufelberger on March 21, 2005 to coordinate the content, collaboration and uses of the network among the partners and other resources.

History of ACELINK

2001 - Invent Tomorrow Education Consortium determines need for high-speed education network in Allen County, Indiana

2002 - State of Indiana answers RFP for connectivity

2004 - Invent Tomorrow Education Consortium applies for and receives Foellinger Foundation grant to implement ACELINK

2004 - Invent Tomorrow Education Consortium signs contract with State of Indiana and network installed by Comcast

2005 - 2 DS3s installed in Fort Wayne, Indiana for high-speed network then connected to partner school districts by Comcast fiber network

2005 - Consortium partners with Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne to hire ACELINK Project Coordinator

2005 - Consortium selects Verizon Fort Wayne as a vendor for Tandberg Videoconferencing equipment

2005 - State of Indiana reassigns ACENet contract to Education Consortium, assigning responsibility to Region 8 ESC

2005 - IPFW and Indiana Data Center become the Network Help Desk for the Allen County Education Network