Last month, Extron said that so far it had granted over $1.8 million in classroom A/V systems to U.S. school districts. More than 580 pilot classrooms have been granted to enable district technology leaders, administrators, and instructors to evaluate and define audiovisual system standards that can be implemented in additional classrooms. The main goal of the Extron grant program is to provide increased visibility and expanded access for K-12 classroom A/V technology by supplying selected pilot classrooms with advanced audio/video solutions at no cost to the district. Each grant award includes installation of Extron classroom A/V system technology, VoiceLift microphone, and complete training.

Extron offers several grant programs for qualifying institutions. The PoleVault, WallVault, and VoiceLift Grants award complete classroom A/V systems, while the GlobalViewer Enterprise Grant provides Extron’s server-based, A/V system monitoring and resource management software. All equipment, installation, and training are provided free of charge, with no required commitment for future purchases. Extron backs each grant classroom with a 5-year warranty and industry leading S3 support, which provides 24/7 telephone assistance and a nationwide network of specialists. In addition, grant recipients have access to the Extron K-12 Web site which offers additional resources, including product information, manuals, white papers, How-To videos, case studies, and more.

Some program, eh?  Safe to assume no company stays in business by giving stuff away, but must calculate the degree to which recipients will buy in.  I haven’t a clue… but, observing what many places call “AV,” this gives them a chance to experience what it can actually look, sound and interface like.