As one of the first anchor institutions connected to the DC Community Access Network (DC-CAN), Joint Educational Facilities, Inc. (JEF) will use its significantly increased Internet bandwidth to expand its technology-based learning services to students in Wards 7 and 8.
Located on Naylor Road, SE, JEF is an all volunteer non-profit community-based K-12 organization that works primarily with junior and senior high school students, teaching them advanced computing sciences and contemporary mathematics topics with an emphasis on Intelligent Technologies. Its primary goal is to increase the quantity and quality of underrepresented minorities successfully entering Science and Engineering baccalaureate degree programs. JEF has helped more than 400 students to complete their high school education and in many cases to pursue undergraduate degrees since 1982.
JEF will receive 100 Mbps Internet, voice over IP, E-Fax, web conferencing, and interior wireless access through DC-CAN. In addition, an external access point (included under the DC-CAN grant) will extend Wi-Fi Internet coverage into the nearby neighborhood.
“This high-speed fiber connection to the Internet through DC-CAN will enable us to do supercomputing in real-time,” said Jesse L. Bemley, PhD, director of JEF.
Bemley is looking use JEF resources to support National Science Foundation grant recipients at Clemson University’s supercomputing center in South Carolina in biomedical application testing. With a 100 Mbps connection, JEF becomes a viable test laboratory for this and other supercomputing initiatives.
“Not only do our students learn how to operate and contribute in the high tech, scientific environment,” said Bemley. “They are introduced to leaders in the supercomputing community and have opportunities to attend nationwide conferences.”
“JEF epitomizes the impact that a small, dedicated organization can make in the lives of young people in this city,” said Tegene Baharu, Deputy CTO for Infrastructure Services at the District’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer. “DC-Net and JEF share common goals in advancing technology, education, and community service. We are happy to support their efforts and we look forward to utilizing interns from JEF in our summer internship program.”
For more information about JEF services, see: http://www.jef.org.