The Old Computer Network

New nonprofit organization channels used computer equipment to public and private schools.

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One person's trash is another's treasure, mused Diana Detwiler as she passed by a storage closet clogged with old computers in her office at Bankers Trust. Six months later, with the help of her parents, the 24-year-old established the Detwiler Foundation, a La Jolla, Calif., nonprofit organization whose mission is to channel used computer equipment to public and private schools throughout San Diego County. Since its inception, last August, the foundation's Computers for Schools program has found new homes for more than 200 computers, printers, peripherals, and software packages from corporations including Bankers Trust, Bank of America, Deloitte & Touche, and Citicorp. "This is one of the easiest ways for businesses to get involved in education," says Detwiler, "particularly if a monetary donation is out of reach." Donors receive a tax write-off as well as recognition: corporate decals are affixed to the donated equipment.

-- Alessandra Bianchi