Providence Day School 9th graders helping to close digital divide

Charlotte, NC (WBTV) - Ninth graders at Providence Day School are on a special assignment. They have spent two days looking through donated computers to help get them ready for students who are in need of a computer during remote learning.

Students have been examining and auditing the computers on the school’s parking lot. The school donated more than 300 laptops to help close the digital divide. The organization Eliminate the Digital Divide (E2D) estimates there are about 16,000 families in Mecklenburg County that cannot afford a computer.

Providence Day School students realize how fortunate they are to have working technology while remote learning.

“We know how important it is to have a good electronic device so that you can work to your full potential and go to all of your classes, and so you can reach what you need to get your education,” 9th grader Brandon Ackerman said.

The computers were donated to E2D during WBTV’s Collect to Connect Campaign. The school’s Parents’ Association teamed up with Hendrick Automotive to collect the computers. They had donation sites around the school’s campus.

Leaders at Providence Day School thought it best for students to get involved with this community project.

“Hopefully by doing this, we can help bridge the electronic divide and help kids who are less fortunate,” Ackermann said.

The students remained busy with this project.

“We are wiping off all the stickers and making sure the devices work well and are cleaned,” 9th grader Elsie Kneas said.

The computers will be handed off to E2D. It will make sure the computers are refurbished to hand out to students with no computer to call their own to do their assignments.

“We are really grateful and excited to be doing this and helping out,” Kneas said.

Students think it’s neat they are helping students they don’t know succeed.

“I think it’s just nice to know if you see someone, just know you did something to help people,” Ackerman said. “And that little by little, you are trying to make the world a better place and that everyone can get a good education no matter the circumstances.”

E2D anticipates the computers should be ready to hand out to families as early as the end of January.

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