The program run by nonprofit Give IT Get IT uses parts from refurbished or recycled computers that would otherwise be thrown away.<\/p>\n
WATERVILLE, Maine \u2014 In a world where access to technology is more essential than ever, a nonprofit in central Maine is making sure kids aren\u2019t left behind.<\/p>\n
“Just bringing these kids an experience that anyone, regardless of their social status, income status, where you live, or where you go to school, should have access to,”\u00a0Give IT Get IT<\/a>\u00a0Program Manager Nathan Bernard said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Give IT Get IT, a Waterville-based nonprofit, aims to inspire young Mainers through its \u201cBuild IT\u201d program \u2014 a tech share initiative that teaches kids how to build their very own computers from scratch.<\/p>\n At the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program’s Teen Center<\/a>, as well as other youth organizations like the Alfond Youth and Community Center<\/a>, hundreds of kids are assembling the tech piece by piece.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m pretty stoked to have my first computer,\u201d said Quinn Morris, an 11th grader participating in the program.<\/p>\n The parts used in these builds are all refurbished or recycled, preventing waste and giving new life to old tech. Through the program, Bernard says more than two hundred kids have helped divert close to 10,000 pounds of electronic waste from\u00a0<\/p>\n Instructors say it’s a win for the environment, and a win for students who get to learn about the computer building process along with internal components \u2014 like motherboards, RAM, and power supplies.<\/p>\n “There’s a lot that goes into it, there’s a lot of parts and small pieces,” 8th grader Brady Sidelinger said.<\/p>\n “I learned where everything goes and how to put it in, screw everything into place, and boot it up,” Morris added.<\/p>\n Those skills and knowledge are things that could translate over to jobs in tech that continue to be in high demand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great for younger kids to learn how to do it so they have some knowledge as they get older, going into school and college,” student teacher Carter Downer explained, “See if this is something that interests them.”<\/p>\n For many students, the experiences and skills gained are just a part of what the program offers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was like a \u2018it’s go time!\u2019 reaction for me because I don’t really have the money to buy a good computer,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy little brother\u2019s been asking for a computer for a really long time,\u201d Sidelinger said. \u201cOnce I saw this opportunity, I thought it\u2019d be a good chance to get him one.\u201d<\/p>\n Staff at Give IT Get IT say they’re hoping to expand the Build IT program to youth groups in other parts of the state.<\/p>\n “Anything to get them excited about learning and making things,\u201d Bernard said.<\/p>\n