05/27/2026
Thank you Brad Hill, CLU, CHFC - State Farm Agent for your investment in Career and Technical Education!
🏆 Congrats to Shelby Johnson at Scott Regional Technology Center. She is a recipient of the 2026 Brad Hill State Farm Cub Grant. Please read below regarding the Network in a Box program.
⭐️ The Network in a Box project will provide Computer Maintenance and Networking students at the Scott Regional Technology Center with hands-on experience using enterprise-grade networking equipment commonly found in real-world technology environments. While students currently use digital simulations as part of their coursework, this project will allow them to work directly with physical hardware and gain practical experience building and managing functioning networks.
⭐️ Grant funds will be used to create individual lab kits that include managed switches and multi-purpose routers. Using these kits, students will build miniature networks while learning critical networking concepts taught through the Cisco Network Academy curriculum. Students will gain experience with skills such as cabling networks, identifying ports, configuring VLANs, understanding routing protocols, and exploring network security and traffic management.
⭐️ The project is designed to help students move beyond theory and develop confidence through hands-on learning. By physically connecting, resetting, and configuring networking equipment, students are able to better understand how systems function in real technology environments. The teacher also plans to incorporate “break-fix” challenges where students troubleshoot and restore networks after simulated issues are introduced, helping strengthen problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
⭐️ These initial kits will serve as the foundation for a larger classroom goal of eventually providing dedicated hardware access for every student in the program. Until then, students will work collaboratively in small groups and partner teams during the Fall 2026 network infrastructure unit.
⭐️ This project reflects SRTC’s commitment to providing career-focused learning experiences that prepare students with practical skills they can carry into future education opportunities and technology careers.
👏 Congratulations Shelby Johnson! The impact you are making on students’ futures and our community is truly wonderful.