October 28, 2014  

 

The Source for Learning, Inc. Celebrates 35 Years

 

On October 24, 1979, a retired engineer with a passion for learning and a vision for the future met with a small group of colleagues in Williamsburg, VA to sign the articles of incorporation for National University of the Air. Shortly thereafter, the name became The Network for Instructional TV - a new non-profit dedicated to providing increased educational opportunities for disadvantaged populations using specially-allocated microwave frequencies.

 

Thirty-five years later, that company is known as The Source for Learning, Inc. [SFL], but its mission remains the same. Frequencies in twenty-two markets that were once used exclusively for video to schools have now been digitized, allowing them to carry Internet traffic to teachers and students in schools and homes. SFL's Internet services-TeachersFirst for K-12 teachers, and PreschoolFirst for early childhood organizations-reach thousands of teachers, children, and families in locations throughout the U.S. and in more than 50 foreign countries.

 

And SFL is still growing-adding new services to its portfolio of innovative educational solutions. MySciLife-now in its third year-offers a unique social learning environment for middle school science teachers and their students. This fall, MySciLife classes are using a newly designed social learning platform developed for SFL specifically for this project.

 

Elsewhere, SFL's new Students@Home service works with schools to provide 4G wireless Internet connectivity to disadvantaged students in their homes using SFL's frequencies. The effort is part of SFL's ongoing effort to involve families in their children's education and to help schools effectively integrate new technologies into learning for both teachers and students.

 

SFL's future remains bright, thanks to revisions made by the Federal Communications Commission several years ago that allow non-profit licensees to lease a portion of their unused spectrum to commercial entities-thus providing a valuable contribution to corporate revenue and a boost to other fundraising efforts.

 

That retired engineer was John Curtis. SFL CEO Steve Gorski remembers him as energetic, passionate, and impatient. Commenting on SFL's 35th anniversary, Mr. Gorski said, "John died in 1987, when we were still a very small company. Were he to see what we're doing today, I suspect he would be proud, but I suspect he would also say, 'What else can we do?' That's the question we ask ourselves as well, and we're looking forward to what comes next."