Connectivity at the top of the world: Preserving the past, partnering for the future

Scott McGregor shares his experiences in forging a new partnership with Iḷisaġvik College in Utqiaġvik, Alaska - an extraordinary community that's breaking down barriers to create new access to education, technology, and opportunity.

Standing near the top of the world, I've never felt closer to Cisco's purpose.

The ground feels different here in Utqiaġvik, Alaska - formerly known as Barrow. Located north of the Arctic Circle, Utqiaġvik is the northernmost town in the United States.

Scott McGregor takes a photo of the Arctic Ocean.

From where I stand on the shore of a sea that is frozen for much of the year, I'm getting a sense of the remarkable history of a land that has been home to the Iñupiaq people for thousands of years and the challenges they've overcome to sustain their community for millennia.

Today, the residents of Utqiaġvik face a growing challenge- integrating the culture and values of the past with the technological advances and knowledge needed to preserve their culture and thrive in a changing, global economy.

This is what powering an inclusive future for all looks like.

Strong community - significant challenges

I've come to Utqiaġvik with a small group representing Cisco's Social Justice Action Office and our Native American Network Employee Resource Group.

We're here to explore ways we can partner to break down barriers and create access to education, technology, and opportunity.

The challenges are significant here.

Imagine living in a place so remote it can only be accessed by airplane, where the summer sun doesn't dip below the horizon for 82 straight days, and after it dips below the horizon for the last time each November, it doesn't appear again until January.

Imagine living in a place where reliable access to modern conveniences like fresh produce and heating fuel are a challenge. And limited access to broadband makes it difficult to access critical services like education and healthcare as well as maintain a reliable connection to the rest of the world.

The remote location and the harsh conditions aren't the only barriers. Utqiaġvik is on the front lines of climate change. The rising sea is claiming land at an alarming pace. Barriers now block parts of a road that once encircled the town.

If not now - when?

Walking among the people, it's clear to me that despite the harsh conditions the Iñupiaq are already thriving. Communities around the world have something to learn from the vibrance of this culture.

We're not here for a relief effort. We're not here to write a check. We're here to do what Cisco does best - connect the unconnected - and reimagine what's possible through those connections.

To gain true proximity and understand the unique combination of challenges facing this community - discovering new ways to bridge distance and difference to create an inclusive future.

This proximity - and this partnership - is central to how Cisco fulfills its Purpose to power an inclusive future for all. And why we created the Social Justice Actions to explore ways of creating true impact in underserved communities.

The path forward - breaking down barriers to education

At the heart of this remote community is Iḷisaġvik College, one of only 35 accredited tribal colleges in the United States and the only tribal college located in Alaska. The president of the college, Justina Wilhelm, grew up in the community and talks about how the school is "unapologetically Inupiaq" meaning the Inupiaq way of life, based on a rich foundation of a subsistence culture with the land and sea, guided by Inupiaq values is woven into their curriculum and daily interactions.

Residents of Utqiaġvik take part in the traditional blanket and candy toss.

Iḷisaġvik College has a modern IT infrastructure. But like many underserved educational institutions in the United Sates, there were some gaps, primarily around the college's cybersecurity readiness.

Resolving those gaps is critical. In 2023, the Federal government created standards requiring all schools receiving federal funding be National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) cybersecurity compliant. For schools like Iḷisaġvik College, funding these upgrades presents a major challenge and could ultimately determine if they could continue to operate.

Through Cisco's commitment to social justice, which ensures minority serving institutions across the country remain cybersecurity compliant, Cisco and its ecosystem of partners have engaged Iḷisaġvik College and conducted a NIST assessment to identify technology gaps and then donated the technology and services required to bring them into cybersecurity compliance. Iḷisaġvik College is the second tribal college to benefit from this initiative which positions them to serve their local community as well as students who take their courses globally, well into the future.

The best-in-class cybersecurity solutions implemented at Iḷisaġvik featured the Cisco Meraki MX - a multifunctional all-in-one device that delivers ease of deployment, remote administration, and state-of-the art features. This unique combination of benefits is essential to empowering the new future the college envisions for students, faculty, and the broader community.

Bringing the opportunities here

Justina Wilhelm, president of Iḷisaġvik College, speaking with students.

The partnership between Iḷisaġvik College and Cisco is even deeper than cybersecurity compliance and technology modernization. In addition to supporting the IT infrastructure and connectivity, we will be offering our Cisco Networking Academy coursework, which will allow learners to obtain certifications in cybersecurity and networking that will make them more competitive for jobs, including remote jobs.

This means residents will be able to stay in their community and earn a competitive wage in the cybersecurity and networking fields.

This is a critical aspect of the path forward the community is creating. Opportunities to stay in Utqiaġvik and to continue to be "unapologetically Iñupiaq" while tapping into a vibrant virtual job market made possible through connectivity.

Lessons learned from the top of the world

When I embarked on this trip, I wasn't expecting it to be one of the most profound experiences of my career.

While I was in one of the most remote places on earth, I found a welcoming community that reminded me how important it is to get proximate to a community to fully understand its needs before providing solutions.

I discovered a new sense of what's possible by walking alongside people with a history of living at the top of world for thousands of years.

I came away inspired and energized, knowing that Cisco's purpose-driven work has never been more important - or more relevant to what matters most in communities around the world.

As Cisco begins the last year of our five-year exploration in driving Social Justice, our work - and the impact we're creating with communities - will continue to expand because of what we've learned here.

Preserving the past - partnering for the future. Cisco's journey continues.

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