PLEASANTON, CA, Nov 12, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) --
In support of National Distance Learning week Nov. 10-14, Polycom,
Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM), the global leader in telepresence, video and
voice communications solutions that enable distance learning
programs, today announced sponsorship of several exciting programs
taking place during National Distance Learning Week that will take
students to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space
and research centers in celebration of NASA's 50th anniversary, to
Antarctica to study climate change with a scientific research team,
and to Africa to examine democracy through the lens of U.S. and
Ghanaian presidential elections.
"Distance learning programs like these are wonderful examples of how
visual communications can enhance collaboration and learning," said
Joe Sigrist, senior vice president and general manager of video
solutions at Polycom. "It is amazing to see how this type of
interaction in the classroom can stimulate and inspire young minds.
Polycom is proud of our involvement with U.S. and international
distance learning organizations and is constantly amazed by the
exciting ways that educators apply the technology to enhance the
classroom learning experience."
NASA's 50th birthday via visual communication
NASA's Digital Learning Network(TM), the United States Distance
Learning Association (USDLA), Discovery Education and Polycom are
sponsoring a unique program Nov. 13-14 that will allow 20 schools
from 10 different countries to virtually visit NASA space and
research centers as part of a NASA's 50th birthday celebration. The
20 mostly middle school classes from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong
(China), India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and
the United States will be participating as live interactive sites
using Polycom visual communication solutions. Hundreds of other
schools are expected to participate by watching the live Web cast at
http://dln.nasa.gov.
During 10 unique sessions, each of which connect to a different NASA
location, students from two schools, one U.S. and one international,
will interact with NASA scientists about exciting topics, including:
the Space Shuttle, The Mercury Project, The Gemini Project, The
Hubble Space Telescope, Icing Wind Tunnel, Airplane Wind Shear, The
Phoenix Mars Lander, The Viking Project, The X-43 Project and NASA's
Stennis Space Center history. A NASA birthday celebration will also
take place during each session. In preparation for the event,
Discovery Education has created its NASA at 50 website, located at
http://discoveryeducation.com/nasaat50/.
"The NASA at 50 program is an incredible opportunity for students to
get excited about real-world applications for science," said Marci
Powell, chairman of the board of the USDLA, and global director of
Higher Education & Corporate Training for Polycom. "Through visual
communication, students will enhance classroom programs by
interacting face to face with the NASA scientists to hear firsthand
about historic, groundbreaking projects."
Climate change in Antarctica through virtual classrooms
Global Nomads Group, an international NGO that creates interactive
educational programs for students about global issues, in partnership
The Offshore New Harbor Project (part of the Antarctic Geological
Drilling Program or ANDRILL) and Polycom, are hosting a series of
Virtual Classrooms from Antarctica through December to study evidence
from the last time carbon dioxide levels were this high -- 25 million
years ago. Students from more than 30 schools around the globe are
using visual communication to connect directly to the scientific
experts on the ground in Antarctica to discuss different topics
relating to changes in the environment. By speaking with their peers
and with experts in climate history, students are gaining a greater
understanding of the cycles of planet Earth and the environmental
problems that face us now.
The 15-person scientific expedition team is lead by Dr. Stephen
Pekar, a geology professor from Queens College who is visiting the
icy continent for the third time. The team is comprised of
scientists, two graduate students from Queens College and an
eighth-grade science teacher from Promise Academy in Harlem, New
York, who uses Polycom visual communication to teach classes from the
ice. During the seven-week adventure, the team will study the rock
beneath a sheet of ice 20 feet thick called the Ross Ice Shelf. The
scientists will collect weather data and use a series of microphones
to map the rock floor and study carbon levels in a region that has
gone largely undocumented.
"The Antarctica program is an example of what 21st Century education

is all about: bringing science to life for students through a
remarkable partnership between Polycom, Offshore New Harbor
Expedition, and Global Nomads Group," said Terry Culver, executive
director, Global Nomads Group. "Each week, this partnership takes
students to the coldest place on earth, to learn about climate change
by speaking directly with the scientists who are researching it."
Democracy through the lens of two presidential elections
In addition to the Antarctica program, Global Nomads Group is running
a distance learning program this month called Election Watch 2008:
Global Perspectives, focused on examining the meaning of democracy by
studying the recent American presidential election and putting it in
context of the international community. On Nov. 12, students from
several U.S. schools will use visual communication to discuss the
recent historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th U.S. president.
Then on Nov. 19, they will connect via video with students in Ghana
to discuss their upcoming presidential election and examine the
similarities and differences between American and Ghanaian democracy.
Polycom helps schools connect with high-quality distance learning
content providers through an online searchable content database and
the Polycom Content Access Program. Polycom also offers a large scale
global directory and professional network of educators for video
conferencing project collaboration called Polycom Collaborations
Around the Planet. This directory can help connect educators to
increase video conferencing utilization, expand and enhance
curriculum, provide access to global collaborations, and increase
educational equity.
About Polycom
Polycom, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM) is the global leader in telepresence,
video, and voice solutions and a visionary in communications that
empower people to connect and collaborate everywhere. Please visit
www.polycom.com for more information.
About Global Nomads Group
Founded in 1998, the Global Nomads Group (GNG) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to heightening children's understanding and
appreciation for the world and its people. Using interactive
technologies such as video conferencing, GNG brings young people
together face-to-face to meet across cultural and national boundaries
to discuss their differences and similarities, as well as the world
issues that affect them.
Polycom and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks of Polycom in
the U.S. and various countries. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. Copyright Copyright 2008, Polycom, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Contacts:

Kevin Young
Polycom, Inc.
925.924.5706
Email Contact

Terry Culver
Global Nomads Group
212.529.0377
Email Contact

SOURCE: Polycom, Inc.
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=98460DD93AF27200
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=A3454DC0D80C135C

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