By Maryangela Layman Román
Catholic Herald Staff

How many aluminum cans does it take to create two labs of 25 computers each? According to calculations by administrators at Prince of Peace/Príncipe de Paz School, the answer is 1.6 million.

While the number may seem astronomical, the south side school’s 380 students and staff collected 24,000 cans toward their goal in the first five weeks of collecting. There’s a new Dell computer set up in the entranceway of the south 22nd Street campus to prove it. It was purchased last month with funds generated by the cans, supplemented by an anonymous $100 donation and principal Judith Birlem said the school is close to having enough money from cans to purchase a second.

Sometime in the near future, Patty Finger, the school’s curriculum and technology specialist, hopes there will be a computer lab at each of the school’s campuses.

Finger, in her first year at the school, knew she was taking on a challenge, accepting the position of technology coordinator at a school whose only computer lab consisted of eight donated computers running outdated software.

That mini-lab is located at the campus on south 25th Street where grades 1 to 5 are housed. The campus on 22nd Street for grades K4, K5 and grades 6 to 8 has four pieced-together machines, according to Finger, which are used by a reading specialist.

“We found talking to students who have graduated that we are not fully preparing them for high school and that they are not as technologically savvy as other students so we would like to be able to offer the students the opportunity to use computers in their school work, teach how to use Word, Excel, Power Point, basics of Office,” she explained. “Most (students) are very good at Internet, but we would like to be able to offer better techniques in searching, appropriate or better use of the Internet and then to be able to offer our younger students keyboarding and move up,” she said, adding staff would like to integrate technology into the curriculum.

The school applied for grants to create a computer lab, but was unable to secure funding.

During a staff meeting, a teacher suggested raising money through recycled aluminum. The idea appealed to the teachers because it made use of an existing resource, instead of asking parents and supporters to make additional purchases of pizzas or candles.

“It seemed like the easiest one — something people have anyway,” said Finger. “We’re not asking someone to buy wrapping paper, pizza or pie or any of traditional fund-raisers. People drink soda and if they can save those cans for us rather than throwing them away it’s benefiting us, but it’s also benefiting the earth as well.”

According to Birlem, the can collection has been a way for “members of our school community — many of low income — to find a way to do something to help the school. It’s an easy method for them and we’re not asking them to buy anything and they’ve been happy to do it.”

Initial calculations by the teachers — which have since proven wrong — estimated the school would need $1,600 in cans to reach their goal. Recalculations proved the amount was seven figures — about 24-30 cans make a pound and the going price for recycled aluminum is about 75 cents a pound. Each computer is expected to cost just under $1,000. But the teachers were undeterred by the addition of three 0s to their total.

“We’ve had a very good attitude about it,” said Finger. “Someone coined the phrase, ‘Yes we can.’ Yes, it’s a huge goal, but the kids have reacted so well to it, especially the younger students — they bring in bags almost every day, and even pick up them up on the walk back from Mass (at the 25th Street campus).”

Classroom challenges and incentives have helped, said Finger, explaining that classrooms that bring in the most cans in a specified period earn out-of-uniform days or movie and popcorn days.

Staff members began talking about the project in February or March and just before Easter, the first truckload of about 5,000 cans was delivered to Action Metals, Milwaukee. Within weeks, a second load, about three times as large, required three pickup trucks and Finger’s car to deliver.

The cans are brought to the school daily by students and staff and are stored at both campuses. Students help crush them as a space-saving measure.

“It’s so fun to watch kids and parents come in with big bags of cans,” said Finger, noting enthusiasm for the project continues to grow. “One parent came in with scrap aluminum pipe,” she noted.

Families, extended families and even a few local businesses, including Briggs Pub on 25th and Greenfield streets, are pitching in to help, noted Finger, adding one student’s family in Green Bay is saving cans, and Finger’s family in Minnesota has bags for her to take back on every visit home. Birlem said neighboring St. Adalbert School has contributed cans to their collection and she said Prince of Peace’s sister parish, St. John Vianney, Brookfield, is planning to assist them.

Birlem’s 21-year old son, Jonathon, has hauled thousands of cans to the recycling center, according to his mother. “He believes in technology and knows how important it is for the kids to have access to technology,” she said, explaining that previously she served as principal of St. Leo Urban Academy, which had a state-of-the art computer lab.

The excitement generated by the purchase of the first computer a few weeks ago was catching, said Finger. The computer, available for use by students and parents, sits beneath a sign reading, “Look what your cans bought.”

The cans for computers project has boosted morale, noted Finger.

“It’s given us a goal to work for — something that we weren’t sure if we’d be able to accomplish,” she admitted. “By buying the one computer, it’s really made everyone see, ‘Oh, yeah, they’re really serious about this and it’s easy to do; we can do it.’ Yeah, it may be slow, but we can get it done.”

Birlem said the staff consciously chose a project that would involve the students. “We want the students to have ownership in what they’re doing,” she said. “Anybody can help with this, and they don’t have to drink a lot of soda to do it. If they see cans lying in the alley, they just pick them up. It helps with the ecology and helps them be good stewards of the earth.”

Finger and Birlem are encouraging families to continue collecting over the summer. Cans can either be taken to the school or can be dropped off at Action Metals. The company will keep track of all aluminum donations that should be credited to Prince of Peace School.

In the fall, the school plans to schedule a day when community members can bring cans and other scrap metal for recycling.

“We can’t do it by ourselves,” said Finger, explaining staff doesn’t want to promote soda-drinking among students. But with the help of the community, they believe their can collection will reap the needed computers.

Collecting the cans, crushing them and hauling them to the recycling center takes an effort, but according to Finger, “It’s a sacrifice we’re all willing to make.”

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