MARYSVILLE — When a broken computer comes into Paul LaGrange’s classroom, he turns it over to a group of his students.
The team of six students at Marysville Arts and Technology High School work to find the reason why the machine isn’t functioning and start repairs.
Sometimes the problem is easy to diagnose. Other times the fix requires more research, said sophomore Jon David Pressman, 15.
“If you don’t know, you just have to fumble around, check things, change things, tweak things, go on the Internet and search,” he said. “Google is definitely your friend.”
Marysville School District board member Chris Nation asked LaGrange if his students would be interested in fixing computers for One Laptop Per Child, a nonprofit organization that works to give laptops to children in developing countries. LaGrange and his students in July started repairing laptop computers for the nonprofit. The group repaired a dozen computers and used parts from two other laptops, LaGrange said. His students wanted to keep their new computer repair lab running after those computers left the school.
Now the students who run the Marysville Computer Repair Lab take in donated computers and fix them for donation to nonprofit groups during their Computer Applications class. They also offer free computer repair labor for people who can’t otherwise afford it.
Since the beginning of the school year, students have worked with hardware from Compaq, Gateway, Dell and MCI computers, LaGrange said.
“They’ve had a variety of different pieces of hardware, different components and different configurations and at the same time they’re learning how to give that back to the community,” he said.
People have learned about the computer repair lab through word of mouth, LaGrange added. The lab has so far accepted six donated computers and received seven computers for repair. As of Monday, three of the donated computers were fixed and two computers that came in for repair were waiting to be looked over, LaGrange said.
One donated and repaired computer was donated to a local church preschool.
Jon David said he hopes more donated and fixed computers go out the classroom door soon.
“I would like to see more (computers) go to nonprofits,” he said. “Right now we’re doing a lot of fixing and I’d like to see more shipping done.”
So would his classmate, Emmanuel Harley, 16, who started at the repair lab at the beginning of the school year because he thought it looked like fun. When he’s not fixing computers, Emmanuel spends class time digitalizing the pages of a math book for a special needs student in the Marysville School District.
The class is his favorite, Emmanuel said. He thinks a career in the computer industry could be for him.
“It’s definitely an evolving industry, but that’s why I love it,” he said.
LaGrange said he is proud of his students.
“They are working as a group and they are learning what they’re interested in,” he said. “They’re also seeing how that plays into a large group here and how their skills are needed by other people in the world.”
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
Marysville Computer Repair Lab
People interested in donating a computer for repair for a nonprofit can contact Marysville Arts and Technology teacher Paul LaGrange at 360-629-1913 or paul_lagrange@msvl.k12.wa.us. Those who would like computer repairs performed for free need to be able to deliver and pick up the computer during the normal school day from 7:50 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; sign a release of liability waiver; and supply any parts necessary to make the repair.
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