Taking a byte out of the technological divide, one computer at a time
By JOYCE CHANG Special to the Daily Press
Every child should be able to hitch a ride on the information superhighway, at least that’s the goal that drives one group of local volunteers.
Last month, a group of 10 area students in need were just the latest to benefit from the Tec4All program, receiving rescued computers that they can set up in their own homes and utilize at their discretion.
Liz Greenberger, co-director of Tec4All along with Bob TeSelle, estimates that within the past three years, roughly 150 to 160 students have benefited from the program.
“Suddenly, these kids have this computer that is theirs and in their home,” said Greenberger. “It moves them to a higher level and on par with other kids. That’s a big deal.”
The Tec4All program was begun five years ago by Jack Casey, a teacher at Olympic High School, in response to questions over what to do with old computers that were being replaced by newer systems. Initially, he directly arranged the donations to needy students with whom he was already aware, but eventually made the program’s process more formal by enlisting the help of fellow teachers, community liaisons and volunteers.
Teachers and community liaisons — individuals paid by the school system to secure resources for needy students — make referrals for the program. The donated computers come from a variety of sources, including: individuals, classrooms, school libraries and technology centers that are upgrading their own systems.
Linda Gross, the executive director of the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation (SMMEF), has secured grants and funding worth approximately $1,500 per year to pay for additional supplies such as print cartridges and computer technical support, says Greenberger.
Tec4All employs a technical assistant, Brian Lopez, during the summer to prepare the computers for donation. According to Greenberger, the program tries to arrange giveaways of 10 to 15 computers every two months. The computers’ hard drives are cleaned and then educational programs that the school system has licensing for — such as word processing, math and reading drill programs, typing, graphics and photo editing — are loaded onto the computers for the student’s use.
Recipients come from a variety of ethnic groups, says Greenberger, but it is common for English to be the student’s second language. Spanish writing and dictionary software are also made available. The students are also provided with disks, allowing them to save their homework and print documents at school.
“These computers are definitely homework machines and work ready,” said Greenberger.
Kimberly Alvarez, a third grader at Grant Elementary, said she intends to use her new computer to practice typing.
“I want to use Type to Learn,” she explained. “If you use Type to Learn you can get better at typing. If you’re already better, you can use Mario [Teaches Typing], which goes faster.”
Tec4All serves elementary, middle and high school students in Santa Monica and Malibu, giving away computers to students as young as 6, and as advanced as 18. If forced to decide between a family with one child and a family with five children that span a range of ages, the organization would likely side with the latter family, notes Greenberger, in attempts to serve more children’s needs.
“Families are very excited because we are doing something to help move their children ahead,” she said. “Moms, dads and siblings all come together to pick up the computer. Grandmas come sometimes.
“It’s a big day and a rewarding experience.”
Greenberger said that the program has changed over the years as they try to provide newer technology to meet the needs of families. At the moment, due to personnel and space constraints, the program is only able to accept Macintosh computers that run system 8.6 or older.
If the program had a “wish list,” according to Greenberger, organizers would hope for a dedicated space in the community, be it in a business or a school, in which to store the computers while they’re being prepared for distribution. The program currently operates out of Olympic High, but Greenberger said the program’s storage rooms are overcrowded. Also, Internet access through the older computers is not available, but there are hopes for that in the future.
“We have to help our families understand that what we are giving them is only a jump-start on the way to technological literacy,” said Greenberger.
Program directors are also hoping for more focus on computer training in the future. Beyond providing the computer hardware, they wish to offer workshops to teach students computer skills and software.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 10, 2005. Read the original PDF.