Students at E.K. Powe Elementary work on computers donated by Duke. Photo credit: Megan Morr

Durham, N.C. - Duke University will help replace outdated computers in Durham Public Schools classrooms with newer models and assist teachers in incorporating the newer computers into their instruction.

Duke and Durham Public Schools (DPS) will jointly announce the new program at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, at E.K. Powe Elementary School's media center.

DPS administrators identified that as many as 3,400 computers need to be replaced based on a standard they set for classroom computers' model and memory capacity.

"Computer proficiency is crucial to the future success of today's student," said Nancy Hester, Assistant Superintendent of Support Services for DPS. "Duke University's donation of these computers will significantly increase our capacity to boost student achievement through the use of technology."

"Duke has been donating dozens of computers a year to support local public schools and nonprofits, but the new program represents a systematic effort to significantly expand the program to several hundred computers a year, and sustaining the program well into the future. The idea for the expanded program came last fall, when the university looked with fresh eyes at how we could be more systematic in refurbishing computers to serve community needs," said Michael Palmer, Director of Community Affairs at Duke.

"Duke had been trying to find good homes for the many computers we retire each year," David Stein, educational partnership coordination in the Office of Community Affairs, said. "By drawing on expertise from different university offices, we came up with a way of refurbishing a far greater number of computers from across the campus and the medical center that prepares them for a new life in our community."

Before they are donated, all computers, including ones from Duke Medical Center, will be erased of all data by a process that meets regulatory and legal requirements, including HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). "It took us several months to ensure we adequately addressed the privacy protection issues so this project could go forward," Stein said.

Computers donated from Duke to DPS will be mostly Windows-compatible units with Pentium III and newer processors capable of running Windows 2000 or XP. Monitors, keyboards and mice will also be made available for DPS use. Officials estimate that the cost of the program to Duke will be $140,000 a year.

Priority for the donated computers will be given to schools and nonprofit groups in the 12 neighborhoods that are part of the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership. Interested parties may contact Stein at 668-6271.

Duke will also offer ongoing support to teachers and administrators in using the computers for instruction.

"When I'm working with teachers, I tell them, 'If you have an idea for a technology project, don't automatically think you can't do it; give me a call,'" said Dorothy Black the PepsiCo K-12 technology mentor program coordinator at Duke Libraries' Center for Instructional Technology. "I see my job as pairing Duke resources with schools ready to use them." Black's position and support for technology in the schools was provided by a grant from the PepsiCo Foundation in 2001.

Donating the computers to community groups is also a way for the university to fulfill its commitment to environmental sustainability.

"Placing these computers in the community supports our commitment to environmental stewardship in addition to narrowing the digital divide in our public schools" said Jane Pleasants, assistant vice president for procurement services at Duke. "We would much rather see computers retired from use at Duke end up in a fifth-grade classroom than at a recycling center."

Offices at Duke that wish to donate computers should contact Procurement Services at 668-2565.

Among groups within Duke contributing to the program are the Office of Information Technology and Duke Health Technology Solutions.

News of the computer donation follows an announcement by Duke President Richard Brodhead and Durham Public Schools Superintendent Ann Denlinger in February of three new initiatives designed to significantly boost support for DPS classroom teachers. Over the next three years, the university will contribute $925,000 to assist DPS by providing scholarships to Duke graduate students who are pursuing advanced teaching degrees and commit to teach for at least two years in Durham Public Schools, increasing fluency in Spanish among teachers and staff members, and helping retain early-career teachers. The programs are expected to provide direct support for as many as 200 DPS teachers who work with approximately 6,000 public school students.