Many jobs now require a bachelor's degree, but only 27 percent of Pennsylvania residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Pennsylvania State Data Center. To help more Pennsylvania adults access higher education, Penn State has created a statewide network of 20 video classrooms that offer accelerated education programs. The Penn State Video Learning Network is being honored with the 2012 Shirley Davis Award for Excellence in Synchronous Distance Learning by the National University Technology Network.

By July, 16 Penn State campuses will have new high-technology classrooms equipped with identical high-definition video conferencing technologies that will enable faculty and students in up to four locations to participate in the same course at the same time. The classrooms are part of Penn State's new Video Learning Network (VLN). The goal of this network is to help Pennsylvania adults acquire the knowledge and skills they need for today's jobs -- which often require college degrees or specialized training -- conveniently at a Penn State campus close to home.

The Video Learning Network includes the following Penn State locations: Berks, DuBois, Behrend, Fayette, Great Valley, Greater Allegheny, Harrisburg, Hazleton, the Learning Center in Lewistown, Lehigh Valley, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Schuylkill, University Park, the Williamsport Center, and York.