PRESS RELEASE written for Astronaut Memorial Foundation 
 

            Thousands of school children in Brevard County and beyond have benefited from a better education thanks to a computer repair and distribution program.

            Now the group of about 37 volunteers has officially organized into a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Computers for Education Inc.

            The new status will allow the Rockledge-based group to accept tax-deductible donations. The group’s mission is to enrich children’s education by providing free computers and peripherals to schools and other organizations.

More than 1,000 working computers have been distributed since 1998 to educational organizations from Cocoa Beach to Nicaragua.

            The Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF) and NASA at Kennedy Space Center will continue to partner with the program by providing support for the organization’s recipient qualification and distribution efforts

            “We believe this move is a natural progression for the organization, which was started by one man and his son building a computer in their garage for one student,” said Kaylee Dominy, AMF education technology program manager.

            Freebie Bassett, the founder of the organization, is the president of the new nonprofit. His initial father-son project grew over the years with the support of NASA, USBI, the AMF and United Space Alliance (USA).

            Currently USA, Harris Corp. and HealthFirst Medical Group donate computers for the program. Other sponsors include the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Boeing Corp., Continental Motorcars Inc. and Astro Too.

            The Brevard County School Board donates space for the computer lab at Whispering Pines Adult Education in Titusville where 37 volunteers test and repair donated computers.

            “What makes this program different is that we recondition and repair the computers before they are distributed,” Bassett said.

FACT SHEET with press release follows:

Types of computer hardware distributed by the program: Desktops, monitors, keyboards, mice, speakers, printers, network hubs, scanners, various cables, connectors and a limited number of laptops.

 

Computer speed: Most systems distributed are Pentium II 300 to 500 mhz. The minimum processor standard for the program is Pentium 300 mhz.

 

2003 activities:

  • 2,700 pieces of used computer equipment were donated to the program.
  • 1,500 pieces were tested, repaired and distributed to 20 schools, churches and nonprofit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity.
  • About 85 percent of the systems were donated to Brevard County schools and nonprofit organizations.   
  • 515 desktop computers and 9 laptops were distributed.
  • 100 systems went to Nigeria, 54 systems to the Dominican Republic, 15 systems to the Bahamas and 9 systems to Nicaragua.
  • 24 systems were given to children and adults with special needs.

 

Partners:

NASA Education Outreach Program

The Astronaut Memorial Foundation

Brevard County School Board

United Space Alliance

The Boeing Co.

Health First Medical Group

Continental Motorcars Inc.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program

Astro Too Surplus Electronics

Private individuals

 

New partnership:

Computers For Education is partnering with the Manatee County School Board and Chamber of Commerce. Manatee is gathering used computer equipment for Computers For Education to repair. Systems in working order will be distributed to Manatee schools, churches and nonprofit organizations.

 

Volunteers: A number of the some 37 volunteers who test, refurbish and repair the donated computers are current or retired space program workers. Volunteers also are drawn from a variety of other local businesses and disciplines and include college students.

 

Our beginnings: The program got its start when Freebie Bassett, now a product control planner for United Space Alliance, joined forces with his son John to build a computer for a student whose family couldn’t afford to buy one and who’s father was working in another country. In 1998 after the father and son team built several computers for students and teachers, Freebie enlisted USBI, NASA Education Outreach and a group of workers at Kennedy Space Center to work together in an effort that would become the Computers For Education program.