ALASKA LITERACY COUNCIL DONATES 500TH COMPUTER
by Reba Lean / rlean@newsminer.com Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Darrel Zuck shows the module he installs on the refurbished computers that line the shelves at the Literacy Council of Alaska watchful to be donated Friday afternoon, Dec 23, 2011. The organization, which proposed it’s computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it’s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner
computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner” rel=”lightbox[16893336]“>slideshow
Refurbished computers line the shelves at the Literacy Council of Alaska watchful to be donated Friday afternoon, Dec 23, 2011. The organization, which proposed it’s computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it’s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner
computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner ” rel=”lightbox[16893334]“>slideshow
FAIRBANKS — For a little people, computers are the equates to to make a successful business. For others, they are windows to the world.
The Alaska Literacy Council’s computer recycling module has given more than 500 computers divided given tumble 2007, giving hundreds of people the collection to strech serve than they could before.
“I’ve seen more tears strew from reception computers than any other program,” Mike Kolasa, senior manager executive of the council, said.
The legislature gave divided the 500th refurbished mechanism this week. The computer, along with the 499th, went to the Interior AIDS Association, a nonprofit organization.
Darrel Zuke is the council’s mechanism recycle technician. He late from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2004 and began training mechanism classes to people at the council.
“Literacy involves many more than only reading,” Zuke pronounced in a legislature press release. “It equates to being able to duty in today’s world, and that involves regulating a computer.”
Zuke still teaches tiny classes, with room for one-on-one time with his students.
“We begin at the beginning, literally,” he said. He shows his students where the on/off symbol is on the mechanism and goes from there.
“I pledge when they go out of the class, they’ll have an email address,” he said.
Online information exchnage is what spurs a lot of people’s seductiveness in the course.
Zuke spends the rest of his time at the legislature regulating up computers that have been donated by assorted businesses and people. Then, when they’re all set for use again, he hands them off to nonprofit groups or low-income people for a estimate fee. The module is saved by an Exxon Mobil Grant and is a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher Program.
The legislature aims to assistance those in need squeeze cheap computers (between $25 and $50), though it doesn’t require people to spin in taxation earnings or other documentation. Zuke customarily ends up giving out about 10 to twelve computers a month.
The mechanism module is based out of the council’s Gaffney Road location. It is a tiny room lined with shelves of mechanism tools — a little ready to be taken quickly divided by people and others ready to be ripped detached for the pieces inside.
“Every once in a while, we get a mechanism we only can’t use,” Zuke said. When that happens, he and his helpers — a proffer and an intern — frame the mechanism for the parts.
Laptop computers are the hardest to fix, and they are also the many requested. A lot of times, their batteries will be passed or failing when they strech Zuke, and he competence have to squeeze an additional one. The costs add up and shortly it becomes as well costly to fix.
From donors, Zuke requires computers with a Pentium 4 processor or better. Donors mostly dont think about to present a mechanism energy cord with laptops, which makes it formidable for Zuke to repair.
The computers come from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Noel Wien Library, the Alaska Deptartment of Fish and Game and other internal businesses. Rather than promulgation their computers to Green Star for recycling, people mostly spin them over to Zuke for others to use.
Zuke wipes the tough drives transparent of the prior owners’ information and installs multiform simple programs. He has flat-screen monitors, unchanging desktops and laptops in store.
Zuke’s the one preferred part of his pursuit is operative with people — training them and on condition that them with an almost-necessary tool.
Also, he said, “It’s got closure if you can get them (the computers) to work.”
Contact staff bard Reba Lean at 459-7523.
by Reba Lean / rlean@newsminer.com Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Darrel Zuck shows the module he installs on the refurbished computers that line the shelves at the Literacy Council of Alaska watchful to be donated Friday afternoon, Dec 23, 2011. The organization, which proposed it’s computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it’s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner
computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner” rel=”lightbox[16893336]“>slideshow
Refurbished computers line the shelves at the Literacy Council of Alaska watchful to be donated Friday afternoon, Dec 23, 2011. The organization, which proposed it’s computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it’s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner
computer refurbishing module about 4 years ago, not long ago donated it s 500th computer to the Interior AIDS Association. Eric Engman/News-Miner ” rel=”lightbox[16893334]“>slideshow
FAIRBANKS — For a little people, computers are the equates to to make a successful business. For others, they are windows to the world.
The Alaska Literacy Council’s computer recycling module has given more than 500 computers divided given tumble 2007, giving hundreds of people the collection to strech serve than they could before.
“I’ve seen more tears strew from reception computers than any other program,” Mike Kolasa, senior manager executive of the council, said.
The legislature gave divided the 500th refurbished mechanism this week. The computer, along with the 499th, went to the Interior AIDS Association, a nonprofit organization.
Darrel Zuke is the council’s mechanism recycle technician. He late from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2004 and began training mechanism classes to people at the council.
“Literacy involves many more than only reading,” Zuke pronounced in a legislature press release. “It equates to being able to duty in today’s world, and that involves regulating a computer.”
Zuke still teaches tiny classes, with room for one-on-one time with his students.
“We begin at the beginning, literally,” he said. He shows his students where the on/off symbol is on the mechanism and goes from there.
“I pledge when they go out of the class, they’ll have an email address,” he said.
Online information exchnage is what spurs a lot of people’s seductiveness in the course.
Zuke spends the rest of his time at the legislature regulating up computers that have been donated by assorted businesses and people. Then, when they’re all set for use again, he hands them off to nonprofit groups or low-income people for a estimate fee. The module is saved by an Exxon Mobil Grant and is a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher Program.
The legislature aims to assistance those in need squeeze cheap computers (between $25 and $50), though it doesn’t require people to spin in taxation earnings or other documentation. Zuke customarily ends up giving out about 10 to twelve computers a month.
The mechanism module is based out of the council’s Gaffney Road location. It is a tiny room lined with shelves of mechanism tools — a little ready to be taken quickly divided by people and others ready to be ripped detached for the pieces inside.
“Every once in a while, we get a mechanism we only can’t use,” Zuke said. When that happens, he and his helpers — a proffer and an intern — frame the mechanism for the parts.
Laptop computers are the hardest to fix, and they are also the many requested. A lot of times, their batteries will be passed or failing when they strech Zuke, and he competence have to squeeze an additional one. The costs add up and shortly it becomes as well costly to fix.
From donors, Zuke requires computers with a Pentium 4 processor or better. Donors mostly dont think about to present a mechanism energy cord with laptops, which makes it formidable for Zuke to repair.
The computers come from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Noel Wien Library, the Alaska Deptartment of Fish and Game and other internal businesses. Rather than promulgation their computers to Green Star for recycling, people mostly spin them over to Zuke for others to use.
Zuke wipes the tough drives transparent of the prior owners’ information and installs multiform simple programs. He has flat-screen monitors, unchanging desktops and laptops in store.
Zuke’s the one preferred part of his pursuit is operative with people — training them and on condition that them with an almost-necessary tool.
Also, he said, “It’s got closure if you can get them (the computers) to work.”
Contact staff bard Reba Lean at 459-7523.