The City of Casey continues its long-standing commitment to supporting educational equity by donating a further 106 laptops to not-for-profit organisation ‘This is IT’.
To celebrate the latest handover of the laptops to the Casey community and furthering the mission of equalising education through technology access, an event was held at Hallam Secondary College on Wednesday 19 July. City of Casey CEO Glenn Patterson was in attendance, along with local MPs Belinda Wilson and Pauline Richards and school principals from Gleneagles, Hallam, Lyndhurst, Clyde, Cranbourne East, and Hampton Park secondary schools.
The City of Casey has been a founding contributor to the ‘This is IT’ program for the past four years and have now shared over 300 in total. The program collects end-of-life and end-of-lease laptops to repurpose them for students in need.
According to This is IT co-founder Andrew Simmons “10 to 15 per cent of students lack access to technology, putting them at a disadvantage compared to their peers when it comes to learning.”
“The laptops provided by the City of Casey play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide among students, helping them become tech-savvy graduates who can thrive in the modern world. By enabling students to stay connected to education and the world around them, these laptops have a profound impact on their lives and future opportunities of the students.”
“With financial stress being a significant barrier to secondary education, the partnership between the City of Casey and This is IT has proven to be instrumental in assisting students in need. The laptops provided by the City of Casey help address the lack of access to essential technology, a key factor in student disengagement, and foster an inclusive learning environment for all.”
Mr Patterson acknowledged and applauded the initiative and the momentum that this program has brought to the local community. “This partnership empowers students to become successful graduates who can not only survive but thrive in their educational journey,” he said.
“The positive impact this initiative has on families and individuals is immeasurable, and we are thrilled to see our community benefitting from it,” said Patterson.
The City of Casey remains committed to further supporting This is IT’s mission, with Patterson pledging to double down on laptop donations.
“I encourage other organisations in both the public and private sectors to donate to this essential cause,” he said.
