Huntley student coordinates tech donation to schools in need

Huntley High School sophomore Ariana Patel partnered with Huntley School District 158 and Giving Gadgets, a local nonprofit, to donate about 600 lightly used laptops to schools and students in need across the world.

Patel collaborated with Superintendent Scott Rowe in June 2022 after inquiring about any laptops the school district may be able to donate, the district said in a news release. With the help of the district′s technology department, the district helped collect nearly 1,500 laptops and donated about 600 devices to schools in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Ahmedabad, India.

The Chromebook devices, which reached the end of their life cycle at Huntley School District 158 and were earmarked for recycling, were wiped of their data and made ready for donation by technology staff, the release states.

Through the school district’s donation, Giving Gadgets estimated that more than 15,000 students will have the opportunity to use the technology over the next five years. For many, it will be the first time they are able to use technology in school, the release states.