Welcome/Bienvenue

Computers for Schools (CFS) is a Canada-wide initiative providing refurbished computers - at little or no cost to recipients - to Canadian schools, public libraries, and non-profit learning organizations.

This site contains information about the Alberta program (click on contents to the left, or see our Video).

Pour service en français, veuillez composer le (780) 427 9002 ou le 1-800-622-6232 (1-800-OCANADA).
Pour compléter le formulaire de demande d'équipements informatiques, cliquez ici.

 

What's New

Thanks to our Summer Distribution initiative schools can receive their computers over the summer months and have them set up by September. That’s because we’re busier than ever during the May to September period. Last year we distributed 5492 computers and 190 printers during these months. To take advantage of this opportunity schools must be ready to make transportation arrangements for receipt of their equipment in July and August. They can do so by providing us with the name and phone number of someone who will be available to take delivery of the equipment during this period.

Here's how to proceed:

• If your school has a pending application for computers but does not expect to receive that equipment before the end of June, it should now provide us with the name and phone number of a “summer contact”.

• If your school intends to apply for computers now – or before the end of June – it should also be sure to designate the name and phone number of a” summer contact” on the application.

• Applications can be completed on-line in just a few minutes in our website at: http://www.cfsalberta.ca

For Additional information please call us at 780-427-5262

 

Following is a press release issued May 1, 2012:

The Board of Directors of Alberta Computers for Schools announces the following executive changes:

• After fifteen years as Executive Director of the Alberta CFS program, Mr. Lucien Villeneuve will retire effective May 31, 2012.
• Mr. Rick Baker will assume the position of Executive Director effective June 1, 2012.

The Board expresses its appreciation to Mr. Villeneuve for his dedicated efforts on behalf of the Alberta CFS program and wishes him well in his retirement. Under his leadership the Alberta CFS program has experienced significant growth and is highly regarded by Alberta’s K-12 schools, libraries and individual recipients as a valued supplier of computers and associated resources.

The Board is pleased to welcome Mr. Baker in his new role as Executive Director.

Mr. Baker has had a diverse career with the Government of Alberta in the areas of tourism, economic development, trade strategy, and education. Since June 2000 he has been with Alberta Education as Director of the Learning Resources Centre, and Executive Director of the Learning and Program Resources Sector.

Alberta CFS is a non-profit organization supported by both the Federal and Alberta Governments. Its mandate is to collect, refurbish, and redistribute surplus computers to Alberta schools, libraries, and learning-based non-profit organizations. Computers are provided free of charge though recipients are requested to assume responsibility for transportation. Since the program’s inception it has distributed over 160,000 computers throughout Alberta. For additional information about the Alberta Computers for Schools program see: www.cfsalberta.ca

Effective June 1, 2012, Mr. Baker can be contacted at 780 427 9002.

Ross Plecash, P.Eng

Board Chair

Alberta Computers for Schools

780 426 3990

 

• So far this year we have continued to distribute well over 1000 refurbished computers each month to schools, libraries, and learning-based non-profits. Thanks to financial and in-kind support from both federal and provincial governments and other partners, we are able to provide these computers (plus monitors and printers) free of charge – though we ask recipients to make their own transportation arrangements.
• We are receiving significantly greater numbers of laptops which we are able to pass on to you. The great majority of these laptops come with wireless capability. 
•  Some computers now available  - desktops and laptops – have dual core/twin core processors.  Most also come with 80-Gig hard-drives and at least one Gig of memory.   
• We are pleased to advise that we are now able to respond to most applications within one month.
• Please note that our “Home Access/Special Needs” initiative is increasingly popular. Schools can apply for a limited number of computers which the school can then distribute to students for home use. It is up to the school to identify recipients based on “special needs” (e.g. with low vision), or financial need of the student’s family.

Should you require additional information about our program in general or any of the above points please call us at 780 427 9002 or 780 427 5262.

 

On September 14. 2011 we celebrated distribution of our 150,000th computer and the opening of our new Calgary shop at Chinook Learning Services

For photos of the new shop and the September 14 celebration, click HERE.      

The address for Calgary Shop is now: Chinook Learning, 2519 Richmond Road SW. The phone number remains 403 243-6321 as does the shop email address: cfsclg2@telusplanet.net  

CTV Two Alberta (formerly ACCESS TELEVISION) has produced several promotional videos for us in recent years. We sincerely thank CTV Two Alberta for its generous contribution to the Alberta CFS program. To see a recent video click HERE.

To see an overview of our program done by our student trainees, click HERE.

Our Lethbridge and Brocket shops bring together two programs - Community Access and Computers for Schools. To see the results of that partnership in Alberta, click HERE.

As of April 30, 2012, our grand total since the Alberta CFS program began is 160,168 computers and 6295 printers.

In calendar year 2011 we distributed 15,404 computers - our best year ever.

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