By Sarah Yung
On February 1st, a man in Santa Clara County tested positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed case in the Bay Area. COVID-19 belongs to the coronavirus family, which includes SARS, MERS and the common cold. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and headaches/body aches. Visit here for CDC guidance on COVID-19 symptoms and testing.
COVID-19 is highly contagious - 3 times more contagious than the flu. Not everybody who contracts coronavirus displays symptoms, but asymptomatic people can still spread coronavirus to others. Experts hope to slow the spread of the virus via social distancing - a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people. Doing so will reduce strain on the hospital system and free up medical resources - like ventilators - to patients who need them most.
Photo credit: Lisa Guerra
All constituents are responding to COVID-19 differently. As a high schooler, I first felt the effects when mass gatherings like debate tournaments and the Key Club District Convention were cancelled. The NBA suspended the 2019-20 season, just as the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) suspended high school spring sports. Soon after, the MVLA Board of Trustees decided to close schools for three weeks, joining the ranks of Bay Area schools like the San Francisco Unified School District, Oakland Unified District, and San Mateo Union High School District.
In order to flatten the COVID-19 curve that will overwhelm the hospital system, public health officials announced that all public schools in Santa Clara county will be closing for three weeks beginning March 16th. Soon after, California governor Gavin Newsom ordered a statewide shelter-in-place. Students now find themselves having to adjust to distance learning, using online platforms like Zoom and Google Classroom. However, according to the 2018 census data, 15% of Bay Area households have no internet access and 4% have no access to computers. This means about 1 million students lack tech access, which is critical to online learning.
EqOpTech, a Los Altos nonprofit, is helping schools prepare for online classes by deploying refurbished laptops for students to use at home to access online learning tools. So far, we have distributed 229 Chromebooks to 7 schools - including Landels Elementary School, Santa Rita Elementary School, Theuerkauf Elementary School, and Vargas Elementary School. These laptops, refurbished by EqOpTech student interns, will enable students to access online classrooms while schools are closed.
Join Us
EqOpTech is a virtual company, which means we are well-prepared for remote working. Using tools like Slack, GSuite, and Youtube to collaborate, EqOpTech makes it easy for new interns to be a part of the company, while learning technical skills and gaining meaningful work experience. In times of crisis, we are always seeking students who would like to step up and give back to the community. For more information on our internship program, click here.
The hard work of our interns and volunteers is only one half of the solution. We are seeking functioning laptops (Windows, Mac & Chromebooks) with appropriate power adapters to provide students with tech access at home. Each laptop will be refurbished to its full functionality with the operating system and removal of all personal data. Donated laptops will be redeployed to at-risk students in the Bay Area. All donations are tax-deductible. Tax receipt will be provided upon request.
Reach us at Contact@EqOpTech.org for donations or questions.
About EqOpTech
EqOpTech Inc., located in Los Altos, CA, is a 501(c)(3) IRS-designated tax exempt nonprofit organization that promotes and enables equal opportunity free access to technology for computer learning and STEM education in under-served communities. Visit EqOpTech at www.EqOpTech.org
The Equal Opportunity Technology program is made possible thanks to the Los Altos Community Foundation community grant award. Visit here for more information.
