SPHS technology department places computers in students hands

Santa Paula High School’s technology department is spearheading a program to help bring the light of technology home to some of its most disadvantaged students. The program, Computers for Families, places basic PC technology into the eager hands of high school students who normally have to do without. This program, an offshoot of the high school’s Computer Technology Center, gives basic word processing computers to the financially challenged families of high school students. Students selected for the program would not normally have access to computer technology in their homes.The pre-owned equipment donated for use in this program usually comes from community members, businesses, and government entities. The high school provides the facilities for refurbishing and testing the equipment before it is released to the families. Student aides working in the high school technology department often develop their basic computer troubleshooting skills while processing the donated PCs, making the program even more valuable. The computers are tested for minimal performance standards, cleaned of any viruses, and paired with a donated printer.Ten computer/printer packages were to be delivered to families this month. The Computers for Families Program is donating computers to the following students and their families: Marcela Aguilar, Gabriel Chavez, Blanca Espejal, Jose and Martha Fregoso, Yadira Hernandez, Maria Medina, Lorena Medrano, Edith Montelongo, Diego Ramirez, and Cinthya and Cristian Sanchez. The next planned delivery for families will be in early December.