PHOENIX — As schools across the country attempt to quickly adapt to social distancing norms, underprivileged students who may not have access to devices needed for online education face an even steeper challenge than most of their peers.
To address this need, the company Data Doctors has spearheaded a program to refurbish old laptop computers and distribute them to those in need.
Students like Pete Enriquez, a Junior at South Mountain High School, are one of those who are in need.
Enriquez’s lessons require that he visit certain websites that the school has set up. But, without a laptop computer, this lesson plan becomes almost impossible to complete.
“Right now, my schoolwork is all online," Enriquez said. "So, I have to go to the right website and if I don’t have a computer then I can’t really do that."
Most online schoolwork may be able to be viewed on a smartphone, but not able to be completed and submitted. So, while many students have various smartphones, a laptop remains essential for completing schoolwork.
“So, it’s really important that they have access to technology to participate in online learning for the next couple of months,” Jennifer Mellor said.
Mellor represented the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, a group heavily involved in the laptop donation program.
“We want to have a workforce that is ready and prepared for the future,” Mellor said of the Chamber’s participation. “We need to make sure that these students can continue to learn for the next semester.”
Data Doctors says any laptop will do. If a laptop is beyond repair, then it can still serve as parts to make a new laptop for students.
“We have something between 85,000 and 100,000 students in Arizona that lack the technology to be able to do what they are being told to do,” Ken Colburn of Data Doctors said. “Which is now continue their education online, a little hard to do when you can’t get online. So, we’re trying to do whatever we can to help that problem.”
Data Doctors have 17 locations around the Greater Phoenix area. Any donation can be dropped off at any location. The employees will wipe the memory and install the latest Operating System on the laptop to distribute to a participating school.
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