26 Boys & Girls Club Families Awarded Desktop Computers

In April, 26 Boys and Girls Club participants went home with their own desktop computer thanks to a partnership between Best Buy, Computer Reach, and the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania.

The Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania describes themselves as, “a unique organization consisting of eight Clubhouses” whose goal is to “provide every young person with the essential tools needed for a successful and bright future.” Having grown their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming in recent years, the Boys & Girls Club is taking big steps to ensure young people have the skills and tools they need to succeed, including at-home technologies.

Thanks to the generous funding by Best Buy, Computer Reach and the Boys & Girls Club were able to secure 26 Desktop CPUs that were later awarded to 26 individual Boys & Girls Club members that did not previously have access to a computer at home. With three to five children per participating family, over 150 children gained access to digital technology as a result.

Recognizing the importance of access to technical support, the partnership assembled a group of tech-savvy youth to assist less-tech-savvy youth as they developed functional and digital literacy skills. Working in teams, these teens gained 21st-century skills, including computer refurbishing, training leadership, and technical support skills, through what the partnership calls the “train-the-trainer” method. In turn, the teens were able to share what they know with their friends and family members, creating a positive ripple effect. Each family will receive ongoing support from tech-savvy teens at the Boys & Girls Club, with Computer Reach serving as a 2nd Tier support.

Thank you to Best Buy for funding this project and to the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania for partnering with us in our efforts to ensure that the benefits of technology are accessible to all. All children and families deserve access to digital technologies in their homes, and thanks to this partnership, that goal is one step closer to becoming a reality.

To learn more about the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, visit their website!

Interested in learning more about our work to bridge the digital divide? Check out our News page!