Scalable and robust quantum processing systems have the power to considerably alter many aspects of society and economy, ranging from science and engineering to medicine and finance. Achieving such scalability appears feasible only through modular architectures composed of networked quantum devices. This project aims to build a 10-node quantum network, called SCY-QNet, connecting atomic quantum processing units at Stony Brook, Columbia, Yale, and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Leveraging strong partnerships with quantum companies such as Toptica, Single Quantum, Aliro, and Qunnect, SCY-QNet will evolve from a network enabling privacy-preserving long-distance communication, to a system of entangled matter nodes, eventually becoming a network of quantum processors. Furthermore, SCY-QNet will serve as a configurable, shared infrastructure for scientists and engineers to develop and validate new research and technologies. The project will showcase key demonstrations of networked quantum systems, including memory-assisted secret key distribution, long-distance entanglement using quantum repeaters, and entanglement generation between matter-based quantum clocks, with the ultimate goal of advancing the frontiers of physical knowledge and the implementation of distributed quantum algorithms. The workforce and outreach initiatives include QIST curriculum development through a broad network of partner institutions, and efforts to grow a collaborative quantum ecosystem that supports re