For immediate release
March 5, 2002

Computers for Schools and HPEDSB
- working together for students
        Students across the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board are benefiting from the over 770 computers and related equipment that the local office of Computers for Schools has provided during the past year. The local program has been collecting used computer equipment from business and industry and channeling them into local schools for more than four years.
        "We are very grateful for our relationship with Computers for Schools," says Judy Edgar, Chair of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. "These computers were going to waste, but through Computers for Schools, they're adding to the learning opportunities for students in our schools. The program provides a win-win situation for both the companies donating the equipment and the students making use of the equipment."
        Computers for Schools Ontario has delivered more than 100,000 computers to schools across the province since it began in 1998. The arrangement gives computers to schools and also saves 2,000 metric tonnes of equipment from ending up in a landfill. Nationally, the program, founded by Industry Canada and the Telephone Pioneers, delivered 265,000 computers across Canada between 1993 and May 2001.
        The local Belleville Distribution Centre is one of seven in the province. The facility, located at Sir James Whitney School, provides about 500 m2 of donated space for, sorting and refurbishing equipment as well as a loading dock and office space. The furniture and shelving were originally donated by Nortel Networks with additional shelving from Sears.
        "Without this kind of co-operation and support from the local community, we couldn't maintain the Computers for Schools Program in Belleville," says Jaimie Mallory, Manager of Computers for Schools - Belleville.
        The computers received through the Computers for Schools program are incorporated into renovation and upgrade projects in schools across the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. Recent projects include 74 computers used in the renewal and upgrades of computer labs at four elementary schools in North Hastings, 8 additional systems for North Trenton Public School, and the replacement of 30 older computer systems at Quinte Secondary School. At Pinecrest Memorial Elementary School, the 30  systems that were brought in replace earlier, but now outdated systems from Computers for Schools. At Queen Elizabeth Public School in Picton, the renovation and installation of their computer lab is scheduled for completion in early March. A donation that came through Computers for Schools from Exxon Mobil, put 20 systems into a renovated math lab at Moira Secondary School. And the NetSolutions program at Bayside Secondary School has use of an additional 10 computers for its computer networking courses.
        To find out more about making a donation of equipment to Computers for Schools or other ways you can help, please contact the Computers for Schools Program at 967-2823 ext. 210 or through e-mail at jmallory@cfso.ca.
 

For information contact:

Brian Smith, Manager of ITS Hastings and Prince Edward DSB 966-1170 ext.2417

Jamie Mallory, Manager, Computers for Schools 967-2823 ext. 210