By Terence Lee
EqOpTech, a Los Altos student-run nonprofit, promotes and enables equal opportunity free access to technology for computer learning and STEM education for students in need.
Terence Lee and Santa Rita Principal Greg Land (left to right)
Equal Opportunity Learning via Technology
Terence Lee, a high school junior at Los Altos High School ("LAHS") partners with Santa Rita Elementary School 5th graders to launch a laptop drive to benefit students in need. “Our goal is to promote equal opportunity learning through technology tools,” Lee said. “All donated laptops will be redeployed to kids who do not have easy access to online educational content.”
Students in the Los Altos School District often work collaboratively on project-based learning using tools such as Google Docs and Edmodo.
“This collaborative environment aims at sharpening students’ research and analytical skills as well as teamwork and project management experience expected of them in the real world,” Lee said. “For this reason, it is essential that students have access to laptops both in class and at home.”
To bridge the gap for students who do not have laptops at home, Lee and his tech team work tirelessly in the weekly LAHS Refurbish Workshops to fix up, upgrade and install necessary software on all donated laptops. Each laptop has been refurbished to its full functionality and all personal data removed prior to redeployment.
The Santa Rita laptop home usage program will be deployed in 3 phases:
Phase 1: 7 refurbished laptops have been delivered to the 5th and 6th graders on November 17, 2016.
Phase 2: 7 refurbished laptops have been delivered to the 4th graders on December 8, 2016.
Phase 3: 8 refurbish laptops going to TK through 3rd grades in March 2017.
A big Thank You
The EqOpTech team would like to express its sincere gratitude to the donors, Santa Rita 5th graders, Teacher Kathy Day-Bobb, Principal Greg Land, Ms. Alice Lee, LAHS Teacher Sra. Rodriguex, Principal Wynn Satterwhite, Los Altos Town Crier, Nextdoor Community for their support.
Terence Lee, Santa Rita 5th graders, Kathy Day-Bobb, Greg Land (left to right)