St Andrew’s, November 2026: Two organisations which work separately with ReusingIT have been bought together in order to further the goals of each. ReusingIT founder Ross Cockburn spotted a matchmaking opportunity, and the result is a collaboration between GeoBus without Borders – an educational outreach project by St Andrew’s University – and the Department of Science and Education in Ukraine.
GeoBus was developed by the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at St Andrew’s University. It’s an innovative, “mobile” Earth Science curriculum travelling to Scottish schools. The aim is to bring together Earth Science topics taught within other subjects, such as geography and chemistry, to make pupils aware that Earth Science is a standalone subject available at university and which leads to a wide range of careers.
GeoBus without Borders is the international arm of the project. Catherine Rose, Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences and Coordinator of GeoBus without Borders, explains, “Earth science is poorly represented in school curricula in many countries, including those with significant natural resources and growing populations making important decisions about their environment. Earth scientists have the knowledge and skills to tackle many of the major challenges of the 21st century, from climate change and natural hazards to sustainable resource management.” So GeoBus without Borders aims to help embed Earth Science in school curricula internationally to bridge this gap.
Ross learned about the project when the team were exploring the possibility of using refurbished laptops. Thanks to ReusingIT’s on-going relationship with the Ukrainian Unbreakable Education initiative, it immediately occurred to Ross that GeoBus without Borders would be hugely beneficial for Ukrainian pupils. “It’s a country rich in minerals, and the next generation – the people who will be rebuilding the country – need to understand the resources and minerals they are sitting on,” he says. With both ReusingIT’s and GeoBus’s ambition to make educational opportunities more accessible, it’s an excellent match.
St Andrew’s University is a valued donor of end-of-life devices which ReusingIT refurbishes and passes on to many different charitable and educational organisations. Ross is delighted to have been able to link GeoBus without Borders with the Ukrainian educators. At this stage it hasn’t been about devices, but simply networking for good – bringing together different organisations that are within the ReusingIT “family” to multiply the impact of both. And there is potential for much more from this collaboration. As Catherine says, “We’re excited about the potential to develop this partnership further, particularly by incorporating refurbished IT equipment into our international outreach programmes. Combining access to technology with engaging Earth science education could make a real difference to schools and communities where educational resources are limited.”