Autodesk Offers Wide Variety of Resources and Support for Education Community

Access to Industry-Leading Design Software, Programs and Curricula Elevate Teachers and Students to the Head of the Class.

SAN FRANCISCO - The beginning of the new academic year is here and Autodesk, Inc. is expanding its support for students and educators as they return to campus. Autodesk has announced that it is increasing access to its 2010 offerings, valuable curricula and additional resources for student and teacher communities.

With the goal of supporting the next generation of design professionals, Autodesk offers faculty and institutions complete multidisciplinary suites that group the 2010 releases of the latest technologies used by industry professionals around the world. In addition, educators have access to high-quality training resources, including instructor guides, student workbooks, data sets and videos that reinforce key concepts.

Autodesk's education offerings represent its consistent advocacy for students and educators as well as its dedication to meeting classroom needs by continually updating resources. In fact, schools that have purchased academic licenses for the Autodesk Education Suites line of products can now offer usage on student- and faculty-owned personal computers, making it easier to maintain consistent and predictable software environments for these groups.

"Our commitment to education among the architecture, design, engineering and digital entertainment fields has gained momentum with our newest curricula and expanded access to our Education Suites," said Joe Astroth, Ph.D., Autodesk vice president of Learning and Education. "Our goal is for faculty to gain the educational resources and technical expertise they need to help students prepare for successful careers. We believe these offerings make a substantial impact."

Autodesk's existing Student Expert Program focuses on arming mechanical engineering, architecture and civil engineering students with the real-world skills that can help them be successful in the workforce. Students are selected based on their exceptional performance and faculty recommendations, and receive hands-on training, while also gaining solid leadership skills and experience. After completing the program, the students can become a valued resource and mentor for their peers on campus.

Future game developers and aspiring film, television and visual effects artists can now create the kind of compelling digital imagery found in Academy Award-winning films and top-selling games with free* access to Autodesk 3ds Max software. The Autodesk Education Suite for Entertainment Creation provides aspiring games, film and visual effects artists with tools used by industry professionals. In addition, Autodesk Animation Academy combines 3D technology and an arts-based curriculum to help inspire secondary students to explore careers in the arts, entertainment and visualization fields. Through the program, students learn how to visualize and problem-solve through the use of 3D applications while studying a broad range of cross-disciplinary topics.

New six-month trials of Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk 3ds Max Design and Autodesk Maya software are now available for download from the Autodesk Student Community. In addition, students and teachers can download - for free* - the 2010 releases of 25 full-feature Autodesk titles, access training materials, search for internships and jobs, and share designs with their peers. Since its launch in 2006, the community has grown to more than 775,000 members, representing over 19,000 schools in 139 countries.

By using these Autodesk resources, students can become fully immersed in Autodesk products, helping to give them a competitive advantage as they begin their careers in design and engineering.