In response to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s program to ensure that “all public high schools have a computer laboratory by 2010,” the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, through one of its flagship programs, the iSchools Project is very proud to announce the roll-out of its PC Recycling activities, starting February 18, 2010 to be participated in by thirty two (32) State Universities and Colleges.

Training courses were not a priority in early public high school computerization projects conducted, before the iSchools Project came about. Previous projects focused on providing units alone. In effect, school personnel did not gain any technical knowledge on the proper maintenance of their ICT equipment.

In fact, the iSchools Project prides itself as the only ICT-in-education project in the Philippines that carries a PC recycling component. This effort fulfills an important aspect of computer laboratory sustainability.

PC Recycling came about to empower selected high school by providing technical skills to maintain and sustain their existing laboratories by recycling defective computers. This initiative will benefit 1,280 school personnel nationwide.

The main strategy of PC Recycling is to use salvageable computer parts to refurbish and restore defective units in order to maximize available resources and minimize electronic waste. By empowering the technical capability of their personnel, these schools can become better equipped to bridge the digital divide.

To cap-off each training, an exhibit will be conducted, showcasing posters depicting the learning process, samples of refurbished units, and other educational and creative work made from condemned computer parts. All activities however will culminate in a final national PC Recycling Exhibit to be hosted by the Bulacan Agricultural State College.
 
The iSchools Project, recently recognized at the 3rd Government Technology Awards, aims to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education, by providing training modules and increasing ICT access in public high schools, making it the most comprehensive initiative of its kind in the Philippines. Now on its 4th year of implementation, the iSchools Project would have provided these services to 1,000 public high schools nationwide.