Minnesota Tech for Success turns 25

MINNEAPOLIS -- Earth Day may be Saturday, but a local nonprofit has been working for decades to close the digital divide in schools across the state while also helping out the environment.

Minnesota Tech for Success is celebrating 25 years this year and leaders said they'll only get busier in the next 25 years with the growing demand for affordable technology amplified by the pandemic with the boom in remote work and schooling.

The nonprofit receives donated technology from its corporate partners. 

Everything is wiped of sensitive information within the first 60 days of arriving at the Minnesota Tech for Success warehouse. What can be refurbished is then cleaned and tested to make sure everything is in good working order.

"The biggest misconception with reusing technology is really the age of it," said Brian Beaupre, the nonprofit's director of operations. "So technology still has a lot of life to give even after it's been used for the first time so a 5-year-old computer can still be used for a student for homework or whatever the case might be so it still has plenty of life to give."

Roughly 80% of the donations are refurbished and the other 20% are recycled in an environmentally friendly way to keep hazardous materials out of our landfills.

Minnesota Tech for Success currently works with more than 130 schools across the state as well as many nonprofits to outfit them with computers and laptops that can be two to three times cheaper than buying it new.

The group's executive director Tamara Gillard said access to affordable technology is especially important for smaller districts and rural communities where funding can be hard to come by.

"When product is typically released from a company, you're looking at anywhere between 3, 4, 5 years old," she said. "We have many school districts that are still working with 8-, 9-, 10-year-old equipment. They can put that money back into a teacher's wages or into curriculum, but it's definitely a way for them to extend their budget."

Jeff Coltman, Minnesota Tech for Success' program director, said getting technology into the hands of people who need it is only half the battle, as making sure they know how to use it is an entirely different issue.

The latest research from the Minnesota Technology Association shows Minnesota ranks dead last for states that offer computer science education.

Minnesota Tech for Success is also doing its part to increase computer literacy by offering free classes for students and adults -- from basic computer literacy to coding and various IT certifications.

"You have to use technology and if you don't it's likely that you will fall behind," said Coltman. "So that goes for youth, K-12 students but also adults, adults who are in career transition, maybe just separating from the military, don't have the skills that they need."

While the nonprofit receives most of its donations from its corporate partners, twice a month, the nonprofit holds drop off events open to the public at its warehouse at 504 Malcolm Ave SE in Minneapolis. The next event is happening Friday from 11 a.m. -3 p.m.

Items accepted include:

• COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: Laptops and tablets, Desktops and towers, Servers, Networking equipment, Printers and toner cartridges, Copiers and fax machines, Scanners, Docking stations, Projectors, Smartboards, LCD monitors
• COMPONENTS: Keyboards and mice, Cords, Cables, Memory, Processors, Motherboards, Hard drives, External drives, Power adaptors, Microphones
• PHONES: Telephone switches, Cell phones, VoIP phones and systems, Landline phones

Items not accepted include:

• CRT monitors, TVs, VCRs and DVD players, Stereos, Household electronics (refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, blenders, etc.), Medial waste, Smoke detectors, Home appliances (washer/dryers, ovens, etc.), Freon-containing devices (i.e., refrigerators), Mercury-containing devices (thermostats, fluorescent tubes, etc.), Air conditioners, Dehumidifiers.

In honor of Earth Day, Minnesota Tech for Success is also partnering with Comcast to hold four public donation drop off events on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Xfinity locations in Woodbury, Ridgedale, Edina, Brooklyn Park.