When you consider how many schools (even school districts) are struggling financially to fulfill their mission to educate the children, it's easy to understand how school computer labs can run at "less than capacity".

That's not to say the teachers don't know what to do, or that the schools don't care. Quite the contrary! But the reality is that even the most computer literate teachers simply don't have the time to maintain each and every computer in their labs. And when a computer is down, that means some kids aren't able to learn their lessons that day.

This is where the SDMUG can help. Our group has already developed a core of volunteers who are interested in helping schools return their computer labs to the best condition possible.

We know who the volunteers are (and that list is steadily growing), but getting the word out to the schools is another matter. If you are a teacher who is drowning in a sea of wounded Macs (amazing what a 10-year-old can do, isn't it!), we invite you to contact us.

A qualified member of the SDMUG will come out to your school to talk with the teacher(s) and get an overview of the computer lab. We'll coordinate with the school to set up a date for this "intervention". We'll offer suggestions on how the school can best prepare for this event.

While we aren't limited to working on Macs, that admittedly is our area of preference. We can also help with related networking (wiring, hubs, getting the computers talking to each other, etc.), problematic printers and scanners, internet configurations, and more.

This effort by the SDMUG is limited to the geographic boundaries of our membership. That is, the volunteers need to drive to your school. If you are within a reasonable distance from where these volunteers live, your chances of receiving help from the SDMUG volunteers are significantly better than if you teach at the Bakersfield Junior High School.

It's free to schools. No strings, no hidden costs. Public or private, from K through 12. SDMUG volunteers cover their own expenses to get to your school. They even bring their own industry standard utilities (like Norton Utilities and Tech Tool Pro) to help accurately diagnose and repair operating systems and hardware.

The SDMUG, as a group and as individuals, understand that the teaching profession can sometimes make you feel that you're swimming against the tide. If we can help tip the scales to make your efforts more successful, we will. Just let us know who you are.

Thank you.

For more information on donating equipment or volunteering for the School Support Program, please click here.