3/23/07, 5:29 pm EST

Assignment Ten Finalist: Auburn Scallon on Per Scholas

Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.

Per Scholas

by Auburn Scallon
Age: 27

In 1995, Fortune 500 CEO John Hoyt Stookey and computer producer Lewis F. Miller agreed that the ideal solution for disposing of old technology was to get it into the hands of low-income school children. Within weeks they incorporated Per Scholas- from the Latin “for schools”- and in six months the Bronx company was operating.

No matter how altruistic their vision, Per Scholas began to feel pressure from the companies donating computers. President and CEO Plinio Ayala recalls demands that they, “take everything, and do something environmentally sound with the waste.” They developed a recycling program in 2001 to fulfill that need, charging companies for responsible disposal of old technology.

Recognizing security as a pressing issue, Per Scholas took every step to ensure the safety of information. Each data storage device is kept in a caged area, accessible by only bonded employees, until all data is wiped clean- a process that has even passed the strict standards of the Department of Defense. Any computers that can be salvaged are refurbished and sold at a significant discount to low-income families. Unusable parts are dumped into a giant machine that sorts out lead, glass, and hazardous materials using sifters and magnetic technology before shipping the waste to recycling treatment facilities.

Labor comes from a free program that trains low-income workers for A+ technology certification and then provides job placement. “Our records show that after two years a person’s salary increases 50%,” says Ayala. In one of many success stories, a participant in the program went from living in one room with his wife and daughter to owning a house, two cars, and enrolling their daughter in private school. Many employees then refer the companies who hire them to Per Scholas’ recycling program, and the process begins all over again.