ITI Team Members: Linda Watson, Network Technician, CGCC; Kathy Saucedo, Business/CIS Faculty, CGCC; Rick Spears, Faculty, Gilbert H.S. and Adjunct Faculty, CGCC; Donna Kidwell, Coordinator of Educational Services, Intel; Ken Mystrom, Regional StRUT Manager, Motorola.

Innovation Description: Chandler-Gilbert Community College has developed a partnership with local companies and Gilbert High School to participate in the Arizona StRUT (Students Recycling Used Technology) Program. The program involves three steps: Organizations, such as Intel and Motorola, donate computers that are being replaced with newer technology. CGCC students evaluate, repair and refurbish donated computers. The refurbished computers are then donated by Arizona StRUT to non-profit organizations. CGCC may keep up to 20% of the refurbished computers.

Kathy Saucedo and Linda Watson of CGCC developed a new course, BPC171, Recycling Used Technology. Students can enroll in a structured environment with an instructor in the classroom to teach troubleshooting techniques for hardware maintenance and repair. Students can apply the credit to their Associate of Applied Science degrees. Students are being placed in hardware maintenance jobs (work experience in hardware maintenance is beneficial in obtaining networking specialist positions).

The StRUT Program would not be possible without the collaboration of local companies and the partnership established with Gilbert High School. Companies benefit from the program as they may use their do nations for tax purposes in addition to the reward gained from giving to the community. Students benefit as they get real world experience working with computers, and they have the knowledge that their work is helping the community. CGCC benefits as they may keep up to 20% of the refurbished computers. And, finally, non-profit organizations benefit as they receive computers at no charge. It is a win-win proposition.