Department of Education

Grassroots Initiative Launched by UEP Alum Provides Laptops to NYC Students

Amid the pandemic, Faith Carbon UEP'20 co-founded a grassroots initiative aimed at providing laptops to students for successful remote learning.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, grassroots campaign Tech Action Initiative was born. The brainchild of Faith Carbon UEP’20 and Savonnah Rowe, the initiative hopes to provide students with a laptop to successfully complete remote coursework. Due to the high demand for internet-connected devices, many students from low-income backgrounds across the country have been forced to complete remote work on tablets or smartphones, or are unable to complete work entirely, greatly inhibiting their learning potential and denying the basic right to access a quality education. Their mission is to eliminate race and income-based educational disparities brought on by limited access to technology. By equipping students with access to technology and technology-literacy programming, Carbon and Rowe aim to prepare students for success inside of the classroom and for life beyond a school’s four walls. 

Recently, Tech Action partnered with a school in Brooklyn, NY, raising $10,050 to fund laptops for 55 students who do not have adequate technology access at home. Moving forward, the initiative will be partnering with more schools in New York City to supply laptops for students in need, as well as resources to support technology-literacy. Those interested in donating laptops can contact info@techactioninitiative.org and follow their Instagram account @techaction_.