GSA Blog

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has had the privilege to support the great work of the Computers for Learning Program (CFL) in school systems throughout the Southeast Sunbelt Region over the last several years. The opportunity to donate computers to deserving schools is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. The appreciation of the students, teachers and administrators is only matched by the enthusiasm of our regional team in making these donations possible.

On May 17, I had the opportunity to travel to Bolton, Miss., a small community outside of Jackson, to donate 70 laptop computers to the Hinds County School District’s Main Street Restructured, Education with Strategic Training and Academically Relevant Teaching (RESTART) Center. It is the district’s alternative school, serving grades one through 12. The school seeks to equip students with the tools they need to be successful in their home, schools and society.

The CFL program has its underpinning in Executive Order 12999, which was issued by President Bill Clinton in 1996 and requires federal agencies to give highest preference for donations of computers and related equipment to schools and nonprofit organizations with a community-based educational focus in distressed communities.  President Barack Obama has expanded on the idea of making computer technology and broadband accessible to all students when he announced the ConnectED Initiative in June 2013 and ConnectALL in March of this year — because internet-based learning is the path to greater opportunity.

Through the CFL, GSA is responsible for managing the transfer of excess computer equipment from federal agencies to schools and related nonprofits throughout the country. The program helps maximize the taxpayer’s investments, while reducing landfill disposal of electronic waste. By some estimates, reusing just one computer prevents 30 pounds of hazardous waste and 77 pounds of solid waste from entering landfills, and prevents more than 17 gallons of water and 32 tons of air pollution.

Moreover, it’s an opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of deserving students. As the husband of an educator who is responsible for technology integration and training for one of the largest public school districts in the United States, I know first-hand that access to computer technology, broadband and the proper instruction for utilizing these tools for education is absolutely critical to the future success of our students (and teachers). Too many schools systems around the country struggle to find the money in already overstretched budgets to meet this critical need. The support provided through the CFL program helps deserving schools move one step closer to creating classrooms and learning environments that are equipped to connect to real-time information and academic resources that should be available to all students.

Children really are our future. It’s a privilege to support the next generation of leaders by leveraging the same equipment and technology that has supported the work of this generation of public servants. CFL is a win-win for the taxpayers, the students, and the communities we serve.