Launched in October 1997 with 64 educational institutions in seven states - Arizona, California, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, and North Carolina - the Networking Academy has spread to more than 145 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Over 260,000 students have enrolled at more than 9800 Academies located in high schools, technical schools, colleges, universities, and community-based organizations. Cisco Systems trains the Cisco Academy Training Centers (CATCs), the CATCs train Regional Academies and the Regional Academies train the Local Academy Instructors who then educate students.

Cisco's partners from business, government and community organizations form an ecosystem to deliver the range of services and support needed to grow tomorrow's global workforce. Initially created to prepare students for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) degrees, the Academy curriculum has expanded with ecosystem-partner sponsored courses. Optional courses include: Fundamentals of Web design sponsored by Adobe Systems; IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software, and IT Essentials: Network Operating Systems sponsored by Hewlett-Packard; Fundamentals of Voice and Data Cabling sponsored by Panduit; and Fundamentals of UNIX and Fundamentals of Java sponsored by Sun Microsystems.

The Internet enables anytime, anywhere learning for all students, regardless of location, socio-economic status, gender, or race. With the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank Group, Cisco has made the Academy program available to students in Least Developed Countries to help them build their country's economies. In the U.S., Academies have been established in designated Empowerment Zones and Minority-Serving institutions to address pervasive poverty and economic distress through education.

The Networking Academy program continually raises the bar on e-learning and educational processes. Through community feedback and electronic assessment, the Academy program adapts curriculum to improve outcomes and student achievement. The Global Learning Network infrastructure designed for the Academy delivers a rich, interactive, and personalized curriculum to students around the world. The Internet has the power to change the way people learn, work, and play, and the Cisco Networking Academy Program is in the forefront of this transformation.