BY CYNTHIA LEE
UCLA Today Staff

Got a new home computer for the holidays? Before you haul the old one to the garage or junkyard, think about donating it to someone in Los Angeles who cannot afford to merge onto the information highway or who lacks directions on how to get there.

Two groups that rely on Bruin volunteers are trying to bridge that digital divide.

Computación Sin Fronteras (Computers Without Borders), headed by Jayne Spencer, a lecturer in history and Latin American studies, teaches computer skills. The group will soon open a computer lab for community classes and afterschool use by schoolchildren at a church-owned building in downtown Los Angeles.

“Communication technology is infusing every culture, every society,” said Spencer. “If you have access to a computer, you can find information to improve your family’s quality of life and participate more fully in society.”

The Riordan Foundation, in its KidType program, teaches fourth-graders at local schools to touch-type. Students who successfully complete a five-week course — about 270 last year — receive a refurbished computer.

“The whole family sometimes comes down to pick up the computer,” said Holly Han, a program consultant and Anderson School alumna. “They’re so excited to get one.”

Help the foundation reach its goal of giving away 1,000 computers this year by bringing your old, working computer to Room B210, Gold Hall, in The Anderson School on Jan. 29, between 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Only PC desktop computers, Pentium 1 or higher, monitor screens between 13 and 25 inches and keyboards will be accepted; no laptops or printers. For more information, go to www.kidtype.org, call (213) 229-8451 or e-mail info@kidtype.org.

Computación Sin Fronteras seeks working computers for its lab and community members. Computers must come with 400mhz CPU, 128mg RAM, CD-ROM, 5GB hard disk, XGA display adaptor, floppy disk drive and 17-inch monitor. For more information, call (310) 206-2626 or e-mail jspencer@ucla.edu.