Welcome to Computers for Classrooms
Watch our Video
CFC was started in 1991 as a volunteer program to refurbish donated computers for schools. Bruce Jans, a professional videographer, has produced a video about our program. The video should give you a good perspection about CFC and the scope of our program. Enjoy!
Back to School August Special
Computers for Classrooms is offering a $15.00 discount on used LCD monitors for low income families for the month of August when they purchase a Pentium 3 computer for $90 or a Pentium 4 computer for $135. The 15" LCD monitor is just $35 after the discount and the 17" monitor is $60. The LCD monitors are much smaller and more energy efficient than the CRT monitors we normally include with the purchase of the full system. The normal methods of qualification are still being used. Call 530-895-4175 if you have any questions.
Let's give our children the tools they need to be successful in school.
Join Pat on KZFR Radio August 7th FM 90.1
Pat Furr will be a guest on the call-in program starting at 9:10 AM. You will have the opportunity to call in and find out further information about the program and have all of your questions answered. The phone number of the station is: 530-895-0131. We hope to hear from you then.
A New Use for Our Linux Laptops
A geneology class is being held in Paradise, CA and the instructor has asked for our help in supplying wireless laptops for the members of his class. Our Microsoft licensing requires that we can only furnish computers loading with Microsoft MRR Products to low-income families - not to the general public.
Our Linux laptops are available for anyone wanting to buy them. Linux is a free operating system, developed by programmers, that has become more user-friendly over the years. Our linux systems have Firefox web-browser and Open Office, office suite including word processing, a spread sheet, presentation software and even Adobe Acrobat exporter. We load Ubuntu or Kiwi Linux on the laptops.
We also furnish a new, wireless "n" adapter. Anyone wanting to do the basics - word processing, web browsing and email can give our laptops a try. The price is right - $110 including the new wireless adapter!
The geneology classes will be using a web-based program so our smaller hard drives and smaller amount of RAM won't make a difference. The laptops even come with some games. No anti-virus software is needed with Linux.
We give a one week free trial. Return it by the end of the seven day trial and get a full refund. Most of the laptops are Dell models with 256 to 512 MB Ram and 15 GB hard drives.
We use Linux in our lab and have found it to be very stable. Our head tech uses it on his personal computer. Contact us if you are interested in giving it a try.
Check Out Our New Tech Tips
Computer Refurbishers many want to check out the Tech Tips links. We have a discussion and tools for de-activating Windows computers and at long last a paper allowing PC Users to set up a Linux Server for multi-casting and cloning computers.
The Clonezilla SE Guide has taken longer than expected to make it easy to replicate by non-Linux users. Enjoy and please send along feedback so we can make it even better.
We also provide a simplified way of using Sysprep to load images on any make and model of computer.
1,000 Free Computers Delivered to Schools
CFC has been working with Dr. Rob Fairlie, UC,Santa Cruz, as a part of a research project to determine the benefits of having a home computer. We gave 1,000 free home computers systems to selected schools in Chico, Marysille, Yuba City, Sacramento and Fresno. The first round of 500 donated computers was made last fall. The final round was delivered to the schools recently.
Pat Furr was invited by the Sacramento City Unified School District School Board meeting to receive an award acknowleding the receipt of 400 computers given to Sacramento middle school children.
We are awaiting the results of Dr. Fairlie's research. It will take some time to receive the final data from the schools and to evaluate the results. It may help us to understand the value of reusing computer systems and the benefits to an individual's educational opportunities.
Computers for Haiti
Computers for Classrooms recently donated laptops for the relief efforts in Haiti. Vanessa Michel-Aguilar is working on a doctoral thesis and living in Chico, CA. Her father is the director of a relief agency in Haiti.
The laptops have arrived!
Just in time! The rainy season has started and there is a desperate need for tents and housing. The crowded conditions are made even worse by the lack of drainage, sanitation and sufficient medical supplies of all kinds. If you can help in any way please contact Vanessa and her father's charitable organization in Haiti.
Computers for Tanzania
The entire Chico community came together to assist two villages in Tanzania, Africa. Ronald Reed, a local attorney, has been traveling to Tanzania each summer to assist the communities by furnishing equipment, knowledge and labor in bringing wells and water to the villages. He asked if CFC could help the schools by providing computer systems, networking equipment and a video projector for training. Electricity has only recently come to the area. The nearest Internet is still 30 miles away.
The student's of Pleasant Valley High School through the Globally Conscious Youth (GCY) club and the efforts of their instructor, Charlie Copeland, put on a series of fund raising events to support the cause. With the money they raised, the space in the container furnished by Ron Reed, and the systems set up by CFC the combined effort made it happen. We are hoping for photos from Tanzania once the project has been completed. Communities can come together to make a difference!
Wonderful stories about this project can be found at ChicoSol.