Jane Sanders, Almond School (left), Edison Tom, Eagle Scout Troop 37, Los Altos
Eagle scout project provides laptops to local students
For his Eagle Service Project, Edison Tom from Los Altos Troop 37 teamed up with EqOpTech to recycle, refurbish, and redeploy used laptops to support local students and families during the pandemic. Edison first joined the EqOpTech computer program as a technical engineering intern during the summer of 2019 when he was a 10th grade student from Los Altos High School.
After attending a series of EqOpTech technical workshops, he took home 5 laptops every week to refurbish for the laptop giveaway program. Over the years Edison has progressively taken on important computer initiatives. For his eagle project, he was inspired to leverage his computer skills to provide free refurbished computer devices to all during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis for distance learning.
“Edison has a deep passion for computer technology and has been one of the most valuable engineering interns I have worked with at EqOpTech”, says Lucy Lee, EqOpTech Board Member. “His relentless learn-by-doing efforts give hundreds of used laptops a purposeful second life at a critical time during the Covid crisis. Edison’s determination and commitment to supporting the underserved community is an inspiration to other team members.”
Troubleshooting and collaborating from a distance
Edison engaged a team of boy scouts to tackle the challenge of hosting a donation collection drive and troubleshooting donated laptops to restore them to their original functionality with operating systems and removal of personal data. One by one, he analyzed and fixed various hardware and software issues by testing each machine, troubleshooting and researching for viable solutions.
Each device had its own unique set of problems, whether they were missing hard drives, defective devices such as broken screen or sluggish trackpads, Edison and team swapped out salvaging parts from these problematic units to build fully functioning systems. He mentored the scouts to teach them basic PC refurbishing skills (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromium), such as removing personal data, restoring factory settings, installing drivers, operating systems, software applications, SATA drives, security and feature updates, partitioning hard drives for dual boot over a series of tutorial YouTube videos and virtual meetings via Zoom, a way to keep everyone safe during the pandemic. Edison also procured and delivered all the materials, supplies, and tools to his scout team to work and collaborate safely from home.
Other Safety Measures
To address safety concerns, Edison developed a plan to address basic safety protocols when refurbishing a computer, including turning off power, unplugging battery, static discharge, safety goggles, checking lithium batteries for damage and more.
The Community Impact
Edison’s refurbished computer project enabled easy access to technology for local students. With refurbished computers, at-risk students will now have free access to computers for distance learning, from attending virtual classes via Zoom/Meet, contacting school teachers, to collaborating with classmates in online research projects.
As a result of Edison’s Eagle Project, 42 refurbished laptops were donated to at-risk students at the Los Altos School District and Mountain View-Whisman School District (including Almond, Santa Rita, Theuerkauf, Gabriela Mistral, Monta Loma elementary schools).
The Equal Opportunity Technology program is made possible thanks to the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation community grant award. Visit here for more