Students in School District 69 (Qualicum) received an early holiday present from Coast Capital Savings with the donation of more than 100 used computers through Computers for Schools.
“Companies and other bodies update their computers regularly and Computers for Schools (CFS) recycles them back into schools,” said superintendent Jim Ansell.
He said they have benefited from CFS computers for the past several years and it is a great help, with the used computers often being a big step up from what they have, allowing them to integrate more computers into classrooms rather than just computer labs.
The district received 210 CFS computers in the 2011 fiscal year.
The national program, founded in 1993 by Industry Canada and Telecom Pioneers, refurbishes computers and distributes them to not-for-profit learning organizations.
This donation was part of more than 300 sent to the Qualicum, Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Langley school districts, bring the total donated by the credit union to schools to more than 1,200.
Mary-Em Waddington, executive director of Computers for Schools BC, said in a news release that donations from organizations like Coast Capital helped CFS surpass 118,000 across B.C. so far.
“The Computers for Schools program has made a significant impact in enhancing computer literacy in schools across B.C., helping districts save costs on computer purchases that they can re-direct towards other programming, and reducing negative environmental impacts through effective reuse,” she said.
“Coast Capital’s partnership with Computers for Schools enables us to extend the useful life of these computers and help protect the environment,” said Wendy Lachance, director, community leadership for Coast Capital Savings.
“It’s a bonus that the program is equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful contributors to society.”
So far this year, the federal government and 23 private companies have donated more than 7,380 computers for reuse in B.C. schools with a total estimated value of $1.5 million, saving enough energy to power 1,946 homes a year.
writer@pqbnews.com