The university-based CityServe affiliate, GCU CityServe is bridging the “digital equity” gap by equipping thousands of students with refurbished laptop computers.
By mobilizing technically-minded young college students to repair and upgrade donated laptops that are a few years past their prime, GCU CityServe's laptop refurbishment program allows college students gain technical skills while providing over 3,000 laptop computers to families in need nationwide.
“A family might have to decide between actually being able to rent a Chromebook so their child can learn, or saying no,” GCU CityServe Director Nathan Cooper explains. “We don't want that to be a limiting factor. Students can easily fall behind in their schoolwork if they don't have the proper tools at home. We’re giving every child a chance to excel.”
Ever since the pandemic, online education has become a mainstay in classrooms nationwide. Yet, GCU CityServe discovered that all too often, families cannot afford the digital tools needed to excel in today’s computer-savvy classrooms.
Online teaching and assessment systems like iReady, Kahoot, Atomic Assessments, and RemoteLearning are now used in school systems nationwide. That’s why having a laptop is essential to any student’s ultimate success.
That’s where the unique partnership between Grand Canyon University and CityServe comes in, also known as GCU CityServe.
Empowering university students – many of them from the engineering school – to refurbish aging laptops is making this partnership a success. Technically-minded students gain hardware and software skills, experiences that will be valuable in the workplace. And K-12 students then receive the digital tools free-of-charge that they need to succeed in the classroom.
As Cooper explains, “We put (GCU) students with an interest in tech into student-worker positions by helping them lead the refurbishing process. They essentially wipe the data from the device, and ensure all the components are working well – everything from the battery to the speakers and camera.”
Experienced student technicians, he says, can often refurbish a laptop in as little as five or 10 minutes.
GCU CityServe has already attracted over 200 partners that help with the program. Each week, it sends out a “wish list” for new devices, along with an update on the computers already in stock. CityServe hopes to scale the program, which has already delivered over 3,000 Chromebooks so far, to serve churches and communities nationwide.
“This model could actually be plug-and-play all across the country,” added Cooper. “We have that playbook already written. There are different models, but the overall concept is the same, and it could be replicated in other hubs and churches throughout the U.S.”
GCU CityServe was formed in 2021 and since then has distributed over $15.39 million worth of household goods to over 74,000 families in need. GCU is the only university in the country to serve as a CityServe HUB, which is operated mostly by student and staff volunteers.
CityServe is a collaborative network of churches and community leaders who help those in need live better lives. CityServe empowers the local church to fulfill its purpose to overcome despair and transform lives by resourcing them with tangible goods and capacity building. CityServe brings the church to the table to address community challenges by offering long-lasting relationships that lead to transformation and has been designated a “Community of Faith and Opportunity” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information, visit cityservenetwork.com.
About Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona’s premier private Christian university. GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 353 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University’s curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu