4 Feb 2010
A News Conference Will Celebrate the Anniversary and Will Kick Off the 2010 Computer Giveaway to Benefit Approximately 1,000 Students
DALLAS–The Dallas Independent School District's Information and Technology Outreach Program will celebrate its 10th anniversary during a news conference at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Frederick Douglass Elementary School, 226 N. Jim Miller Road. Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa, Bernadette Nutall, Trustee for District 9, and Larry Throm, CFO, are among the program participants.
The news conference also will kick off the program's 2010 computer giveaway. Seventy-six students from Frederick Douglass Elementary School will receive computers in this year's computer distribution.
The Information Technology Outreach Program was created to provide greater educational and economic opportunities through access to technology, by providing computer equipment to the students of Dallas ISD. There are two components to the program, the Connect-A-Student-to-Technology (CAST) program and the Computers for Classrooms (CFC) program.
The CAST program enables disadvantaged students at select schools to take home donated, refurbished computers, extending the classroom environment to the home. It also introduces computer technology into many homes presently lacking access, thereby supporting classroom and homework activities including access to the Internet. To date, CAST has distributed more than 15,000 donated computers to selected students. One computer per family is allowed for those students who have not received a CAST computer in the past and who don't have a computer at home. In addition, the CAST program supplies a number of home-bound students with donated computers. CAST computers are provided technical support for two years.
The Computers for Classrooms (CFC) program supplements the number of computers in schools and improves the computer-to-student ratio in classrooms. School administrators and teachers receive donated computers by completing request forms. Equipment requests are evaluated and filled on a first come, first served basis. CFC has distributed more than 8,000 computers to schools in Dallas ISD. The program also assists with the distribution of computers for special classroom programs.
Through this year's computer distribution, 143 computers will be donated to students in each of Dallas ISD's seven learning communities at school(s) designated by the learning community's executive director. The computers will be distributed to students at the selected school(s) the third week of February.
The Technology Outreach Program is authorized to accept new or used technology donations (computers, network printers, fax machines, copiers, related peripherals, etc.) for Dallas ISD. Potential donors should contact Desktop Services at (972) 925-4927 or (972) 925-5660. Desktop Services performs an equipment assessment before donations are accepted to ensure that donations meet district technology standards.
"Dallas ISD is pioneering a college readiness warning system and we are proud to lend our support to it," in announcing a $3.77 million grant.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
January 2009