I know this is a repost but I'm not sure where to put this. I work in web design and media production. I volunteer at my small church. We have started an after-school program to provide a safe environment for youth to enjoy. The program is at my church but will not involve religious doctrine. We have also created an internship program to be made up of young people from the community. They will learn everything from simple computer functions to advanced technical skills in the professional media field. This is a unique opportunity to not only gain the experience but be able to introduce their own creative ideas into projects. The group will be exposed to normally unheard of avenues and even a possible future in those fields. This hopefully will be an experience that will leave a lasting impression on their lives and be able to provide an alternative to staying out of trouble in this urban community. We have no funds and I just have figured out away to upgrade my own damaged Mac, does anyone have suggestions who might donate any type Mac?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Suggestions/Input needed for Youth Media Program
- Thread starter allofthepeople
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Schools? Computer recycling depots?
If it were me, I would be soliciting money more so than old hardware. Do some fundraising and use the money to buy used and good condition computer equipment off eBay or your local craigslist-type listings. If you rely solely on donated hardware then you're going to end up with the bottom of the barrel stuff.
Unless you want to make that part of your program. You could take donated used PCs (probably many more of those than Macs), take them apart, fix the ones that aren't working, teach kids how to put them together or repair them. Teach the older ones how to install and run Linux (free, runs on older PCs, useful technical skills).
If it were me, I would be soliciting money more so than old hardware. Do some fundraising and use the money to buy used and good condition computer equipment off eBay or your local craigslist-type listings. If you rely solely on donated hardware then you're going to end up with the bottom of the barrel stuff.
Unless you want to make that part of your program. You could take donated used PCs (probably many more of those than Macs), take them apart, fix the ones that aren't working, teach kids how to put them together or repair them. Teach the older ones how to install and run Linux (free, runs on older PCs, useful technical skills).
Just is hard to find computers capable of editing video and things like that without coming off picky... figured I would try here, never know when a reseller has some older models they wouldn't mind the tax break they would get for the donations
Certainly worth a try, but yes, I agree and that's why I'd go the route of fundraising for cash (however you can -- carwash, bake sale, silent auction, church donations) and then using that cash to buy what you need.
The other reason I advocate buying what you need is that, yes, you can afford to be picky and you can try to buy multiples of things to keep your maintenance low. If you just take whatever people give you, you'll get a bunch of different machines, different specs, different quirks, kids will say "I got the crappy machine again, how come Bobby gets to use the good one?", etc. I'd much rather have a lab of say 5 identically configured machines.
Keep in mind that if you're using older video equipment (miniDV, for example, as much as it pains me to think that it's now outdated), older Macs and PCs will do the job fine. My first video editing machine was built in 2001! It was primitive by today's standards but it did the job just fine. Windows Movie Maker comes with XP and G4 Macs with Firewire and the older version of iMovie are cheap. Heck, I have a G4 eMac here I'd send you for free if it weren't so costly to ship, but for what it would cost me to send it, I'm sure you could find some old G4 Macs in your area.
Here in my city we have a company that specializes in refurbished and off-lease computers. For example for $99 I picked up a full Pentium 4 PC with XP installed -- they had stacks of these PCs from some company. Not the latest and greatest but it will surely run video editing software from a few years ago. The same company operates a recycling depot where people bring in old hardware to be disposed of, and they resell the stuff that still works. Keyboards and cables for $1, PC towers for $50, that kinda thing. Maybe your area has something similar?
We use 1080p HD footage and edit in Final Cut Pro... hard to do effectively with old equipment especially PCs
Ah, fair enough then. You didn't say that in your first post
That changes everything.
So, OK, I'd talk to schools that use Macs to see if they're upgrading their labs, and I'd still check to see if there are any off-lease/refurb stores that deal with Macs. And I still advocate fundraising for cash and then picking and choosing what you need, if not from the stores or schools then from eBay or whatever.
Good luck!
Ah, fair enough then. You didn't say that in your first post
That changes everything.
So, OK, I'd talk to schools that use Macs to see if they're upgrading their labs, and I'd still check to see if there are any off-lease/refurb stores that deal with Macs. And I still advocate fundraising for cash and then picking and choosing what you need, if not from the stores or schools then from eBay or whatever.
Good luck!
Thanks I appreciate the advice