Student Jimmy Zhong works with Durham Public Schools staffer Brandon Burton to troubleshoot computer problems at E.K. Powe Elementary School in Durham. Photo credit: Jon Gardiner

Durham, NC - Duke sophomore Bengisu Kuscu doesn't consider herself a technology expert, but when a second-grader or a teacher at Lakewood Elementary has trouble with one of the school's computers, she's there to help.

"Teachers don't have time to mess with a computer problem -- they have a class to teach," said Kuscu, a cultural anthropology major from Turkey. "With the IT I know, often I can solve a problem with a few simple steps and make people happy."

Kuscu is one of four Duke interns providing extra technical support and teacher training at two Durham elementary schools this spring as part of a pilot community outreach program through Duke's Office of Information Technology (OIT).

Technology has become an integral part of K-12 education -- whether it's activeboards in the classroom, online discussions in a class wiki or teacher blogs. And with more computers in the schools -- two to six in each classroom, plus several computer labs, the media center and laptops for teachers and administrative staff -- comes an increasing need for technical support,  said Barry Bowden, the district's service delivery manager for information technology.

The help couldn't come at a better time, with Durham public schools facing a $3 million budget reduction this year.

"We depend on the technology, and there's an instructional impact if it breaks," Bowden said. "Duke is using the program to help students get experience in the real world, and we get additional resources in an area where we'd like the help."

The district provided training for the Duke interns in systems and troubleshooting. The interns augment the efforts of school technology facilitators, who typically serve in dual roles (often as media specialists). They work closely with district IT technicians, who visit each school one day a week, to help resolve more complicated issues.

Those "help tickets" can range from installing software or hooking up a printer to running hardware diagnostics or troubleshooting a networking problem.

"Our students come with technical skills and enthusiasm," said David Stein, education partnership coordinator for Duke Community Affairs. "The district is stretched thin for technology support, and OIT has always been committed to a partnership with the schools."

The internship program builds on a longstanding partnership between Duke and the Durham public schools. Duke has given about 1,800 refurbished computers to the schools since 2007, said Mary Crawford, associate director of procurement and supply chain management at Duke. (Donated computers are wiped of all data to meet U.S. Department of Defense standards prior to being refurbished. For more information about the program, e-mail Crawford at mary.b.crawford@duke.edu.)

This semester, the interns work at E.K. Powe and Lakewood elementary schools two days a week. Organizers hope to expand the program in the fall, said Erin Nettifee, OIT's coordinator of academic support.

OIT also employs about 50 student workers at its Service Desk in the Link at Perkins Library and in computer labs across campus. But the outreach program offers a rare opportunity for students to work closely with IT professionals troubleshooting real-world problems, with different systems and networks, Nettifee said.

"And if you can fix a problem and a 5-year-old kid gives you a hug or a teacher says ‘thank you,' that's very satisfying," she said.

The experience has inspired Kuscu to explore other opportunities for civic engagement. She plans to spend two months in New Mexico this summer working with Navajo high school students as part of the DukeEngage service-learning program.

"Duke donates these computers, but we're the human connection," Kuscu said. "These are just kids trying to learn, and we can help them."