General Communication, Incorporated (GCI)

GCI (NASDAQ: GNCMA) is an Alaska-based company providing voice, video and data communication services to residential, commercial and government customers.

Founded in 1979, GCI introduced long-distance competition to Alaska and has since grown to be one of the nation's premier integrated telecommunication providers. The company employs 1,300 people and has run rate revenues of more than $400 million.

GCI SchoolAccess Experience

GCI SchoolAccess has been employed in school districts for more than seven years, and connects more than 85,000 students in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico and Montana. GCI SchoolAccess has enabled students, teachers and administrators to access information, curriculum, and distance-learning courses, formerly unavailable to them.

GCI does not simply measure its education commitment and success by the number of schools and students served, rather by the contribution it makes to the education of students in rural communities. This motivation has resulted in GCI SchoolAccess being involved in everything from education enrichment programs to being a member of school boards. Below are a few examples of programs we have organized and/or participated in:

• Authors in Schools - A tour of sixteen authors who visited fifty-three classrooms with an additional seven authors participating over videoconferencing to connect to twenty-three schools. Through the program, authors were able to show students the opportunities that exist in their field and encourage students to read and write.
• FIRST LEGO League - The FIRST LEGO League tournament hosted thirty-nine teams. Through the competition, students gain hands-on experience in robotics design and scientific research. This tournament introduced videoconferencing to the annual competition by allowing a team from Saint Michael in the Bering Strait School District to participate.
• Rural Career Fair - The Rural Career Fair provides students with guidance on future career options. Professionals interact with students over videoconferencing to elaborate on their careers and inspire students to pursue a career path. A recent Rural Career Fair hosted speakers from the following industries: logistics/transportation, banking, information technology, aviation, engineering, nursing, and allied health, among others.
• Board and Advisory Memberships
  • Board Member, GCI Alaska Academic Decathlon
  • Board Member, Highland Tech High School
  • Board Member, Alaska Vocational Technical Center
  • Founding Member, Alaska Distance Learning Partnership
  • Advisory Member, Alaska Distance Education Technology Consortium