Give Laptops

GiveLaptops.org started as an off-shoot of the Social Web Week #CompHvn project. We have partnered with City Wide Youth Coalition, Groundworks Initiatives, the Amity Teen Center and high schools in the greater New Haven areato identify students in need of refurbished laptops. We are always looking for donations.

In today’s world, not having computers with internet access puts students at a severe disadvantage. Givelaptops.org strives to close the digital divide by giving refurbished laptops to students in need.

The key to the program is our trusted partner teachers. They identify the students in most need of receiving a refurbished laptop. Laptops are awarded to students on a first come first served basis as inventory permits. We have partner teachers in New Horizons High School, The Future Project and Amity High School. Our goal is to expand this program into more schools in New Haven and beyond.

To date, we have helped dozens of students including a high school Junior who was recommended to take a college class at Gateway Community College but needed a laptop for her class, a young man who wanted to take a shot at becoming a professional boxer but wanted to keep up with his high school studies while on the road and a sophomore who would have to bike to his grandmothers house in the next town to type up his lab reports for his science class just to name a few. The program structure is in place with our nonprofit fiscal sponsorship through Citywide Youth Coalition, partner teachers and a staff of volunteers to help refurbish the laptops and install all needed software. But our biggest challenge continues to be getting enough donated hardware to meet the need.

We are looking for laptop donations of both PC and Mac computers less than 5 years old and in working order. Laptops can be dropped off at our partner locations, The Grove, Amity Teen Center or MakeHaven, or through our website. Our team of volunteers will refurbish the donated laptops which will then be distributed to students through our partner teachers. All donations to Givelaptops.org are tax deductable through our fiscal sponsor Citywide Youth Coalition.