Many schools are going without necessary new technology or upgrades because of recession belt-tightening. What can one high school principal alone do about such a lack in his school? Not much, one would think. But one principal did do something that led to a substantial technology upgrade for his suburban Chicago high school.
Like many of his colleagues across the nation, Vienna High School Principal Patrick Harner just didn't have the technology dollars to serve his school effectively. So Harner entered the CDI "Share Your Story" contest, writing a moving story about his district's struggle to keep technology current for their students so they can enter the 21st century world of college and work with competitive skills. His compelling story stood out from the hundreds of entries that were received, and CDI presented Vienna High School with a complete technology lab worth over $10,000.
Included are 30 recertified Dell Optiplex GX620 Computers with 3-year warranty, Bedmas keyboards, a 77" Interactive Whiteboard, and all cables and accessories.
"When technology grants were abundant, our district did well in building a nice computer lab for our students," Harner said. "However, as the years have gone by, our technology system has gotten older and older and now is falling way behind many of the applications that can be run on our computers. This outstanding gift from CDI will allow our students to "stay in the game" when it comes to using technology."
CDI offers districts a way to increase the availability of computers for students while reducing technology spending through its recertified technology. It provides schools with current, reliable technology that is less expensive than new equipment, an approach which has allowed many districts to improve their computer-to-student ratios.
"Like many of its peers, the Vienna High School District has been hamstrung by scarce resources, even as technology demands increase," stated Saar Pikar, General Manager of CDI. "Upon hearing so many challenging stories we commend Vienna High School Principal Patrick Harner and others for their resourcefulness and commitment to their students. This award is our strong recognition of every district's determination to expand their unique capabilities to provide the very best cost effective technology solution for their students."
