River Valley Tech Center Students Refurbish Computers for the Community
River Valley Tech Center Students Refurbish Computers for the Community
Chris Meyer, who manages the Micro Business Development program, had a connection to the corporation Clear Motion of Boston, a leader in automotive suspension technology. They kindly donated 40 used laptops to Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) that needed refurbishing. The goal of receiving these computers was to bring them back to full working condition and distribute them to SEVCA clients facing challenges related to the digital divide.
Chris reached out to the River Valley Tech Center in Springfield and connected with Kristen Wilson, who teaches Information Technology and Cybersecurity classes. She instructs 10th–12th grade students from Bellows Falls High School, Green Mountain Union High School, and Springfield High School. Many of the students are gamers who are highly interested in technology and all things related to computers. Based on skill levels, students are learning and executing a range of projects in her classes, including—but not limited to—design, 3D printing, coding, building computers, and even ethical hacking.
When Kristen was given the opportunity to take on these laptops and have her students work on refurbishing them, she knew it was a perfect match. During our visit, three students who had been highly involved in the process—Colby, Lucas, and Landon—were extremely helpful, along with Kristen, in explaining the entire process and sharing some of their other class projects.
With four boxes of computers, cables, and docking stations, it was a tedious process for the students to dive in and systematically test which cords worked and matched each computer. Many of them enjoyed the methodical process of testing and labeling each cable to its corresponding device. Once this step was completed, some of the students followed step-by-step instructions and test sheets to wipe the machines clean and reinstall Windows 11. Many were using the BIOS for the first time and learning how to load an operating system using a USB drive.
Most of the students had never done work like this before but felt extremely empowered by the experience. It was a truly rewarding process for everyone involved, and the students were proud to return more than 30 working computers that can now be distributed to community members in need. Stay tuned for more details on how SEVCA will begin to distribute these computers to community members in need.
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