Teachers at five North Baltimore schools received an early Christmas present this year thanks to a student group at Johns Hopkins University and Councilman Bill Henry.

Henry recently delivered five refurbished computers to Walter P. Carter Elementary and Middle School, Tunbridge Public Charter School, Govans Elementary School, Leith Walk Elementary School and Yorkwood Elementary. The computers will help teachers file electronic reports.

Guilford Elementary and Middle School and Baltimore IT Academy will receive computers next week.

Henry said the computers were needed because Baltimore City Public Schools require teachers to file reports electronically—yet doesn't provide them with the computers to do so.

So Henry, after meeting with the principals of schools in his district, thought about purchasing refurbished computers for seven schools.

"I probably couldn't get computers for [every teacher] … but I could get a computer to be put in each teacher's lounge," Henry said.

Henry said he mentioned his plan to Bill Tiefenwerth, the director of JHU's Center for Social Concern, who told him about Bootup Baltimore.

Bootup Baltimore is a student group of about 20 volunteers who provide technology to people who do not have access to it. The group provides schools and other organizations with machines that members have rebuilt themselves, President Tom Smith said.  

Smith said the group's volunteers usually rebuild equipment that is three or four years old that is at the end of its usefulness for some people. Although some of what gets rebuilt is fairly bare bones.

"Up to the level of a case with a motherboard," Smith said. 

Bootup Baltimore has provided about 50 refurbished computers to area schools in the past semester alone.

"It's a pretty good semester for us," Smith said.

Earlier this year the group provided 25 rebuilt machines for a computer lab at Waverly Elementary and Middle School in partnership with the Greater Homewood Community Corporation.

Bootup Baltimore also runs an after school program at Barclay School to teach students how to creatively use computers. After the 12-week program is completed, Bootup Baltimore give computers to the the fourth and fifth graders who participated.  

The group also previously ran an afterschool program at the Hampden based Academy for College and Career Exploration.

Smith said Henry contacted the group about providing computers and that they were more than happy to do so because they had some machines left over from earlier projects.

Smith, a senior, even took time on his birthday, Dec. 22, to help Henry get the computers and three flat screen monitors ready and loaded so they could be dropped off at most of the schools prior to the holiday break.

Now both Henry and Smith said they look forward to working together to help bring the group's services to more residents and students in North Baltimore.

"It was great to work with Bill Henry and I look forward to continue to work him," Smith said.

Henry said he also looks forward to building a partnership with Bootup Baltimore and maybe being able to put computers in each classroom of the schools in his district.