North Dakota Center Learns That Kiwi Is Not Just a Fruit

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Grand Forks, ND—Two hundred and fifty million. That is the number of computers the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates will be deemed by their owners to be obsolete in the next five years. Many of these computers will end up in landfills, which is unfortunate because "obsolete" does not mean "useless." Often times, computers are discarded because they do not contain the latest software packages or because the user wants a faster system. The computers are perfectly usable. It is often the user that has outgrown the system.

The LaGrave Learning Center is doing its part to reduce the number of computers that end up in landfills, while at the same time delivering technology access to residents. Recently, the center received fully loaded computers from the Kiwi Project, a newly formed student organization from the University of North Dakota (UND). Deemed unusable by local businesses and organizations, these computers will play an important role in the learning experience of center children.

Old Computers Deliver New Possibilities

Every day, new advancements are made in technology. For large companies and organizations, it is critical that they capitalize on these technological advancements if they are to remain competitive in the business world. The result is that thousands of computers are deemed obsolete.

When students at UND learned that community businesses had computers destined for the garbage heap, they established the Kiwi Project. This small group of students made it their mission to identify used computers that could be distributed to nonprofit organizations throughout the region rather than trucked to a local landfill. The students advertised their project in The Dakota Student newspaper, which is where LaGrave Center Coordinator Christina Hutchison discovered them.

"When I saw the advertisement about the Kiwi Project donating computers to local nonprofits and less fortunate individuals, I immediately contacted Collin Anderson, a senior political science student who started the project," explained Hutchison.

Hutchison and Anderson discussed at length what the Kiwi Project offered. Hutchison was impressed to learn that not only does the Kiwi Project coordinate the donation of computers, the students also use their technological prowess to refurbish the computers. For example, if necessary, members of the Kiwi Project install the Linux operating system on the computers, which allows users to install and distribute software without paying the high prices for licenses and other costs associated with other operating systems.

After their discussion, Hutchison invited Anderson to take a tour of the LaGrave Learning Center. Anderson accepted, and at the end of his tour, agreed that the center and the Kiwi Project could develop a great partnership. That partnership is now a reality.

"Collin was very impressed with what we're doing at the center. As a result of this meeting, the Kiwi Project promised to donate five computers to the center. We have already received three computers loaded with a variety of educational games that will enhance the learning experience of the children in our afterschool program, including spelling, typing, and phonics. The remaining two are on their way," reported Hutchison.

A comprehensive list of games installed on the donated computers by the Kiwi Project include Educational Suite, Math Typing Writing, Painting, Potato Guy, Desktop Plantation, City Simulation, Asteroids, Space Duel, Tetris, TUX Kart, and Patience (an online card game).

"I am so grateful to the Kiwi Project for these refurbished computers. I think they've developed a great project that, like us, is placing more computers in the hands of children. The games are kid-friendly and the children love them. They are realizing that learning can be fun. Through this partnership with the Kiwi Project, we are providing our children with greater access to technology," concluded Hutchison.

For more information about Neighborhood Networks Centers in North Dakota, contact:

Paul Caouette
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Denver Regional Office
1670 Broadway, 24th Floor
Denver, CO 80202-4801
(303) 672-5408

For more information about the LaGrave Learning Center, contact:

Christina Hutchison
832 Fourth Avenue South
Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 746-2545