Can/How would Microsoft like to help? (Employee Focused) | The Coffeehouse

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

I currently rebuild computers from peoples old thrown out/donated parts and I put them into my girlfriends elementary school for the students, at the beginning of the school year they (the district) told the teachers to ask parents for paper because they can't afford to purchase/issue it to the classrooms...

But this is a big task for an Elementary school with no budget...and just my volunteer work. So I'm looking for help.

The process entails me asking for parts/computers from places like Freecycle or Craigslist, going to get the equipment, building systems that work, and installing the software-delivering the systems. Sometimes it happens in a day, sometimes (depending on the system) it takes as long to get parts to get it in working condition.

I have Windows 2000 running on machines that barely can run 98.....

How would Microsoft like to donate some computers?

5, 10, 20, 100, 1000?

Any amount can/could help, doesn't have to be new or good looking, just something a kid can learn to type on, run Mavis Beacon, or learn how to use the Internet on....

Can a brother get some love?

Side note, hauling computers and monitors, etc back and forth and taking them apart in my living room is killing my back, so this is two birds with one stone principal here.

Please? For the kids?

spivonious

Just an idea (this is what my nephew's school does):

Ask the parents of the children to bring in their old computers to the school. Then you go in and clean them up/get them ready for student use. That way you don't need to cobble together parts and you don't need to transport them to and from the school.

I think there are lots of people that have their old PC sitting in the basement but are too lazy/busy to bring it to the recycling center.

AndyC

Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to direct this kind of enquiry at a PC manufacturer? Some kind of sponsership deal of some sort?

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

In reply to AndyC

#Sep 23rd @ 11:16 AM

Why? They're gonna offer to sell the PCs or get the district on a lease, I'd like Microsoft to try to do something, you know like get it's technology into these kids hands vs me building mediocre systems that will eventually run Linux on them Sad

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

In reply to spivonious

#Sep 23rd @ 11:15 AM

My girlfriend/kids school has alot of refugees and ELLs (English Language Learners) and supports alot of those families with services now (Housing, Clothing, etc), I really don't think that the state department is giving some of them PCs on their entry.

kettch

My old high school used to have a program where the students did all of this stuff. It was an extra curricular activity. A few volunteer adults monitored, guided, and transported the kids, but the students had to make the calls rebuild the computers, etc. The computers were then put into classrooms and labs in local schools.

The students learned about computers, leadership, community involvement and all that other cuddly stuff. The school district got computers. The adults didn't have to carry stuff. That's a win-win-win situation.

Maybe you could work out something similar?

Cybermagellan
Live for nothing, or die for everything

In reply to kettch

#Sep 23rd @ 11:58 AM

That's not a bad idea, I mean this is for an elementary school but the principle would be the same.

Minh
WOOH! WOOH!

In reply to Cybermagellan

#Sep 23rd @ 12:14 PM

I got a pile of stuff that I can probably cobble together a couple of PCs out of for you... but shipping these across country is probably not worth the cost...

I swear.. these old cases must have lead linings...

kettch

In reply to Cybermagellan

#Sep 23rd @ 12:14 PM

Well, you could include the younger kids, but get the high school students involved for the bulk of it.

For some parts, maybe see if you can get the local computers shops to discount or donate stuff.

Bass
www.spreadfirefox.com/5years/

If your school is in the Pacific Northwest you can try applying here:

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/grantseeker/Pages/funding-community-grants.aspx

figuerres
???

Do you know about the microsoft educational and non-profit prices for software?

not free but for sure dirt cheap. you need to get a sales rep from someplace like CDW and have the school register for the academic / non-profit .... at work we did this for a local church and daycare center at first they thought they would only be able to get like 2 copies of office ... now they have all the ones they want for about what 2 retails would have been. office pro no less.

figuerres
???

In reply to Cybermagellan

#Sep 23rd @ 11:19 AM

"

Why? They're gonna offer to sell the PCs or get the district on a lease, I'd like Microsoft to try to do something, you know like get it's technology into these kids hands vs me building mediocre systems that will eventually run Linux on them Sad "

you are assuming this.... bad start.

i would say write an outline of a proposal for why some companies should be sponsors of a program.

then start making the rounds, get dell and hp and microsoft all in the deal, sell the idea.

you might be surprised at what can happen.

everyone in business know that our schools have problems.

about the kids who turn 18 and can only work flipping burgers due to bad skills in math or english

most execs have kids in school or have family with kids in school

relate how a new generation could benefit, how they could be building a future and that it wont' hurt the corp

to have a bunch of conmsumer good will when the parents and relatives find out what they did.

good will is very very special for businesses, you can't buy it and it creates sales by word of mouth.

thats really cheap advertising for them.... if a school has say 1,000 students and say 100 staff then you have like 2,200 consumers that may now look at buying from you. and thats just counting parents and spouses on the first level.... then you can go from there....

start adding relatives ....

joechung

The Gates Foundation targets high schools and post-secondary education for their funding, but there has got to be some charitable organizations out there that target elementary schools.

As for Microsoft specifically, if you're in the Puget Sound, contact the company and see if your non-profit qualifies for funding - Microsoft Unlimited Potential.

Bass
www.spreadfirefox.com/5years/

In reply to joechung

#Sep 23rd @ 7:48 PM

No wai!

That's okay. No one reads my posts unless I insult Microsoft in them.

Microsoft smells.

joechung

In reply to Bass

#Sep 23rd @ 7:50 PM

Actually, I took my original post back after I read the page more closely. It seems like they target high schools or later for funding, not elementary schools. Your link is for human services in the Pacific Northwest, which is different than education.

Bass
www.spreadfirefox.com/5years/

In reply to joechung

#Sep 23rd @ 7:52 PM

Oh I didn't see that. All I saw was Pacific Northwest, and a bunch of diseases. I don't think he wants to give the school children Malaria in order to acquire a Gates grant (although I won't judge). So I picked the only non-disease option.

I'm just surprised there is no "Buy Bass a New Porsche" category. Seems like a worthy cause to me.

contextfree

In reply to Bass

#Sep 23rd @ 8:00 PM

Aren't you a software developer? You should already have a Porsche per May 18's expose.

Bass
www.spreadfirefox.com/5years/

In reply to contextfree

#Sep 23rd @ 8:22 PM

Largely my posting here an artifact of my [very long] procrastinations between writing code. So I'm afraid if I continue posting here I might lose my status of software developer and gain the status of forum bullsh!er. Unfortunately since I don't work for C9 that's an unpaid position.