Keystone Initiative For Network Based Education & Research

KINBER IS THE TRUSTED PARTNER THAT PROVIDES A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE TO PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITIES THROUGH COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION.

KINBER OPERATIONSCOMPLETED POST-CLOSING TRANSITION, INCLUDING TRANSFER OF ASSETS AND CONTRACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SALE OF ASSETS. COMPLETED POST-CLOSING RECONCILIATION OF CONTRACTS AND NETWORKING CAPITAL CALCULATIONS. ESTABLISHED A RECONCILIATION PROCESS BETWEEN FIRSTLIGHT AND KINBER. OPENED A NEW OFFICE IN LITITZ, PA. TOOK PLANNING STEPS TO POSITION ORGANIZATION FOR CHANGE IN 2023-2024 FISCAL YEAR.COMPLETION OF NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) PLANNING GRANTOVERVIEW: MANY SMALLER AND MID-SIZED CAMPUSES IN PENNSYLVANIA HAVE COMPELLING SCIENCE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ALONG WITH AN AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER ACCESS TO CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES. YET, THESE UNDER-RESOURCED SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE PROCESS TO: IDENTIFY, UNDERSTAND, AND QUANTIFY THEIR EXISTING SCIENCE DRIVERS; UNDERSTAND THE CORRESPONDING CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE; AND, THEN PROVIDE BOTH THE TECHNICAL AND APPLICATION SUPPORT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT INITIAL AND FUTURE RESEARCH APPLICATIONS. FOR SOME INSTITUTIONS, THE STANDARD REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY MODEL, A SEPARATE CONNECTION TO A HIGH-PERFORMANCE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK, MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE.KINBER LEAD THE GRANT PROJECT AND WORKED WITH THE INITIAL SET OF PILOT SCHOOLS, INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, LAFAYETTE COLLEGE AND LEHIGH CARBON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO DEVELOP MECHANISMS FOR A CAMPUS TO IDENTIFY CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE-BASED APPLICATIONS, UNDERSTAND THE REQUIRED CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE- BASED RESOURCES AND IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE CAMPUS SCIENCE DMZ ARCHITECTURES. THROUGH FURTHER ENGAGEMENT WITH PENN STATE UNIVERSITY, THE PROJECT TEAM HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AN INNOVATIVE SCIENCE AND EDUCATION DRIVER LOCATED AT PENN STATE NEW KENSINGTON CALLED THE DIGITAL FOUNDRY AND INCLUDED THOSE FINDINGS AS PART OF THE OVERALL OUTCOMES. THE PROJECT INVESTIGATED THE FEASIBILITY OF VARIOUS CAMPUS AND REGIONAL SCIENCE DMZ DESIGNS THROUGH OUTREACH TO EXISTING FUNDED PROJECTS AND DEVELOP A DESIGN FOR A STATEWIDE REGIONAL SCIENCE DMZ AIMED AT EASING ACCESS TO CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE RESOURCES IN A COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER FOR SMALL AND MID-SIZED CAMPUSES IN THE REGION. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PLANNING GRANT, KINBER SUBMITTED ITS FINDINGS TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. FINAL REPORT MATERIALS CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THE KINBER WEBSITE.COMPLETION OF LIBRARIES CONNECT COMMUNITIES GRANTKINBER CONTINUED TO GROW ITS WORK IN SERVING OUR UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, AND COMPLETED OUR WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF COMMONWEALTH LIBRARIES TO SERVE AS THE MANAGING AGENCY FOR THE LIBRARIES CONNECT COMMUNITIES AND BROADBAND RESOURCES PROJECT. AS PENNSYLVANIA'S STATEWIDE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY NETWORK, KINBER WAS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORT AND EXECUTE THIS ACTIVITY MAXIMIZING THE IMPACT OF THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY EDUCATION RELIEF (GEER) FUNDS AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS AND POPULATIONS IN IDENTIFIED COUNTIES OF GREATEST NEED.LIBRARIES ARE AN ESSENTIAL HUB WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES PROVIDING KEY SERVICES AND SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF NEED. IF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT US ANYTHING, ITS THAT PEOPLE MUST BE ABLE TO SAFELY ACCESS HEALTHCARE, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENT RESOURCES AND PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT VIA A SAFE AND RELIABLE BROADBAND CONNECTION. LIBRARIES ARE A CRITICAL RESOURCE DURING TIMES OF EMERGENCY (AND NON- EMERGENCY TIMES) IN PROVIDING BROADBAND ACCESS AND SERVICES TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE TO THE MOST RURAL COUNTIES WITH HISTORICALLY, THE MOST DISENFRANCHISED POPULATIONS. THE LIBRARIES CONNECT COMMUNITIES AND BROADBAND RESOURCES PROJECT WORKED TO ENSURE LIBRARIES WERE MADE "FUTURE READY" IN THEIR OWN NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE, BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES, AND BROADBAND RESOURCES.THE PROJECT HELPED: EXPAND UNIVERSAL AND SUSTAINABLE BROADBAND ACCESS TO PARTICIPATING COUNTIES; IMPROVED THE CONNECTIONS, TECHNOLOGY, AND BROADBAND CAPABILITIES OF PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIES WITHIN PARTICIPATING COUNTIES AND MAKE THEM "FUTURE READY" TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AND BE A PART OF COUNTY EMERGENCY PLANS; PROVIDED TRAINING ON BROADBAND TECHNOLOGIES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH COUNTY- BASED COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, AND MORE; STRENGTHENED THE PERCEPTION OF LIBRARIES AND ESTABLISH THEM AS A TRUSTED BROADBAND RESOURCE CENTER/COMMUNITY ANCHOR INSTITUTION; PROVIDED TRAINING AND WEBINARS TO LIBRARIES AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ON BROADBAND, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGAGEMENT. CREATED AND PROVIDED ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES LIKE A BROADBAND TOOLKIT,EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY WEBINAR, LINKS TO SPEED TEST RESOURCES AND BROADBAND MAPPING AND PLANNING TOOLS AND RESOURCES.MATERIALS AND RESOURCES RELATED TO THE PROJECT CAN BE FOUND ON THE KINBER WEBSITE.