Supporting Underserved Students: UIW Partnerships Provides Students with Laptops

On Friday, Feb. 13, The Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability (ECCLS) hosted a laptop distribution drive in collaboration with Compudopt, a non-profit whose mission is to "provide technology access and education to under-resourced youth" (compudopt.org). The ECCLS described the objective of the event as equipping the UIW community/students with essential resources and tools to become engaged and enlightened citizens, in alignment with UIW's Mission.

"This specific effort of this laptop drive is rooted in the foundational vision articulated by Sr. Dorothy "Dot" Ettling, CCVI, ECCLS' founder, which emphasizes the importance of fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for learning and engagement," shared ECCLS Director, Ricardo Gonzalez. EdD. "By facilitating access to pertinent educational materials, we aim to provide pathways that enhance critical thinking, civic awareness and social responsibility."

Initially, the project aimed to provide 100 laptops to students who met the qualifications to receive assistance. However, due to an outpour of registrations, Compudopt selected more than 170 students to receive laptops. On the day of the event, approximately 90% of students picked up their laptops. Many students wore smiling faces as they received their new laptops.

Gonzalez noted how this partnership between the ECCLS and Compudopt demonstrated how non-profit organizations can work together to address and support the needs of local and broader communities. To Gonzalez, this event underscored the importance of personal connections and individualized support in shaping the educational and personal journeys. Through collective efforts, the ECCLS and Compudopt witnessed as they fostered an equitable environment for all.

"The distribution process facilitated assistance to students across all undergraduate colleges and every professional school within the UIW System," said Gonzalez. "The impact of this effort went beyond Broadway and Hildebrand, as students from Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley traveled to collect their laptops, demonstrating significant demand for the initiative … Ultimately, our work reaffirms the essential role of advocacy in not only transforming individual lives but also in enriching the community as a whole, thereby aligning with the overarching goals of our institution."