Program Information

Our Mission: The Computers for Families Project seeks to eliminate the digital divide by providing students from low-income families with refurbished computers, Internet access, and training.

Computers for Families has placed more than 7,000 computers in the homes of Santa Barbara County school children whose parents cannot afford to purchase these increasingly important learning tools. In addition to providing computers, CFF trains teachers and students how to effectively utilize them to enhance education.

Who we are: Computers for Families is a project of the Santa Barbara Partners in Education (Partners), a non-profit organization with members from business, industry, government, and local schools and colleges. Partners' mission is to serve as a catalyst for focused and broad-based actions that yield excellence in Santa Barbara area schools thereby producing outstanding graduates.

Los Prietos Boys Camp
Computers for Families maintains a close working relationship with the Santa Barbara County Probation Department and the staff at Los Prietos Boys Camp, sponsoring a Vocational Technology class for adjudicated youth.

How It Works
Each week, used computers are delivered to Los Prietos Boys Camp. Students at the facility, a County-managed residential treatment program for youth committed by local courts, install upgraded components, clean, refurbish and certify these computers. On a class-by-class basis at local elementary schools, the coordinator and staff of CFF provide families with training on installation and operation of their "new" computer before they take it home.

Impact on Participating Los Prietos Students
First, the Vocational Technology class gives Los Prietos students self esteem and a chance to develop meaningful skills for a future career. Second, it offers them a positive opportunity to provide some form of reparation to the community at large. Finally, the end product - refurbished and fully operational computers, provides great value to hundreds of families each year.