The Internet2 Community Anchor Program (CAP) works with state and regional research and education networks across the country to connect the full range of community anchor institutions to advanced broadband capabilities.

The local, isolated schoolhouse and library of yesterday is being replaced by a global, accessible one that opens the whole wide world to students of all ages. We have a diverse community and the national Internet2 backbone network. We have 44 excellent state and regional networks. Together, we are putting these powerful assets more fully to work in the service of education in all its many forms. 

Imagine what is possible when you remove bandwidth as a barrier to education.  This is what the Internet2 Community Anchor Program is all about.  Join us!

Our Mission

Connect community anchor institutions to advanced R&E networks.
Convene the formal and informal education community nationwide.
Catalyze effective uses of advanced networks to serve education.
Communicate impactful stories of learning and transformation.

Internet2’s Community Anchor Program (CAP) brings together Internet2 member institutions and innovators from K-12, public libraries, colleges and universities, health care facilities, museums and other cultural and performing arts organizations to extend advanced networking, new technologies, content, and services across all educational sectors to improve people’s lives, no matter where they are located.

The killer application here is the network itself—the human network and the physical network, and the opportunities they enable.

Our Vision

The Internet2 Community Anchor Program is a community-driven program focused on expanding access to advanced broadband services and putting them to work increase educational opportunity for all. Its scope includes:

• Working with regional research and education network partners, encourage the development, adoption, and scalable deployment of advanced network enabled applications and services across Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) nationwide.
• Further develop a multi-faceted communications strategy, including print and web-based publications, social media, multimedia resources, online webinars, and conference/meeting presentations around the US, designed to communicate innovative programmatic activities across the broadest education community and critical stakeholders.
• Focus engagement and outreach efforts on national content partners, such as NASA, NOAA, The Exploratorium, Manhattan School of Music, New World Symphony, Library of Congress, National Parks Service, the Smithsonian, and others with the capacity to offer the richest array of advanced network enabled resources to CAIs.
• Work with Federal and industry groups interested in supporting the development of advanced networks, applications, and trust and identity services to community anchor institutions everywhere; help them develop community anchor strategies, including RFPs, whenever possible; work with those groups seeking to further national broadband policy for K12 schools, libraries, and museums.
• Engage with commercial service providers and industry partners, as appropriate, to achieve community goals.