Their mission is to make Sunnyvale "100 percent wired," which means providing every resident in the city with a computer and Internet access within the next five years. Their purpose is to provide equal access to technology and to prevent the accumulation of electronic waste by recycling used parts.

The idea came to the students after Jason Vizmanos, the group's founder, purchased a recycled computer for 25 cents.

"We didn't think it would work but we fixed it and got it to work," Jason says. "We donated it to someone who needed it."

The students plan to start the project by accepting donations of computer parts and using them to construct computers. Then they will distribute the revamped computers to low-income residents.

That's the easy part. It gets a bit trickier after that.

"We are trying to get all of Sunnyvale's computers connected to a network so they all have access to the Internet," says Justin Moctezuma, the group's design chief.

Exactly how they will do this is still in the conceptual stage, but members have a few ideas.

"One way to achieve this goal is to connect computers by a hub per block," says Buu Pham, Drive to Technology's IT chief. This method would require a volunteer to monitor the hub.

Buu says another way to "wire" Sunnyvale is mesh networking, which allows neighbors to connect their home networks together. However, mesh networking is the more expensive and, therefore, the less desirable option.

Once the group figures out how to establish a citywide connection, Buu says residents in Sunnyvale will receive a code that allows them to access the Internet.

For now, the group is focusing on their short-term goal of collecting used parts to assemble into computers. They hope Sunnyvale residents will contribute to the cause by donating parts. Items the students can't use will be recycled. "That way, [the parts] won't just go into a landfill," Buu says.

The group has recruited Fremont High School art teacher Jon Caward to serve as their advisor. Vizmanos says they selected Caward because of his strong background in computers and digital design.

Caward says he joined the group because he encourages students to reach for their goals, no matter how lofty they are.

"If someone has an idea, I want to help them achieve that," Caward says.

The group plans to accept donations of used computer parts after April 27. For more information about how to make a donation, email info@drive totech.org.