ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland – Senator George Furey, on behalf of Brian Tobin, Minister of Industry, today presented an award to Newfoundland and Labrador’s Computers for Schools (CFS) program for
establishing partnerships to place 100 recycled computers in the homes of
St. John Bosco School students. Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro also
received an award for donating 250 recycled computers to public schools and
libraries in their home province.
The awards were handed out as part of Industry Canada’s Computers for
Schools’ national awards ceremony, acknowledging innovation, volunteerism,
and corporate support.
“I am very pleased to recognize the accomplishments of Computers for Schools
staff and their partners,” said Senator Furey at the program’s annual
general meeting. “They have given our youth access to computers, training
and employment opportunities in communities throughout Canada.”
Known as the Million Dollar Project, the St. John Bosco School effort took
the Gold Innovation Award, given annually to the provincial or territorial
program that most improves the quality of services offered by Computers for
Schools. Computers will be donated to St. John Bosco School families to let
them take full advantage of computer opportunities at the school. Home
computers will be linked to the school so that children and parents can
access information and monitor progress.
Partners in the project include NewTel Communications, the Fry Foundation,
IBM, Knowledge House, the Avalon East School Board and the Newfoundland and
Labrador Department of Education, represented at the ceremony by Judy Foote,
Minister of Education.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, a long-time supporter of Computers for
Schools, received an Atlantic Canada New Corporate Donor Award for its
donation of 250 computers, primarily Pentiums and laptops. This was the
largest corporate donation in the province last year. Other awards in this
category were presented to NB Power, Printer Works of Prince Edward Island
and the Royal Bank (Atlantic Region).
Computers for Schools New Brunswick was another Atlantic winner, taking the
Bronze Innovation Award for working with the New Brunswick Department of
Education and the University of New Brunswick on a distance education
computer technician course.
Computer donations and other support from business and governments are
essential for the continued success of Computers for Schools. To date, the
program has delivered more than 230,000 computers to schools and libraries
across Canada, including some 31,000 in Atlantic Canada. Its national target
is to deliver 250,000 computers by March 31, 2001.
Co-founded in 1993 by Industry Canada and the Telephone Pioneers, Computers
for Schools is a national, volunteer based initiative that collects, repairs
and delivers surplus computers – donated by governments, organizations and
individuals – to schools and public libraries across Canada.
For more information on the awards and recipients, visit http://www.ic.gc.ca.
To learn more about Industry Canada’s Computers for Schools, please visit
http://www.schoolnet.ca/cfs-ope.
