To a student, a laptop is akin to a third arm.
Unfortunately, this valuable learning resource is not always within reach for those experiencing financial hardship.
Enter the Lighthouse Project.
Since December 2021, their Laptops with Love program has worked collaboratively with local partners to source, refurbish and distribute laptops, and this year, they’ve reached a massive milestone.
More than 300 laptops, equating to $300,000 based on the purchase of a new laptop, have been distributed to students from primary, secondary, and tertiary education and adults attending TAFE and university.
Community projects such as the Community Health Educators program by Wellwise Woman and Umoja Empowerment Group have also had the opportunity to utilise the program to develop their English language and computer skills.
Lighthouse Project executive officer Amy Robinson said the Laptops with Love initiative is a perfect example of the community working together to solve unique challenges and provide equitable access to opportunities, and it’s better for the environment too.
The Lighthouse Project aims to reduce e-waste by overseeing laptops from several partnership organisations, extending the laptops’ lives to five years and reducing energy, materials, and resources required to produce new equipment.
“We sincerely thank the partner organisations’ generosity in assisting our community and removing unnecessary barriers for children and adults to engage and achieve their educational aspirations,” Ms Robinson said.
Those partners include Advance Computing, Greater Shepparton City Council, Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Goulburn-Murray Water, Data Parts Shepparton, and Goulburn Valley Water.
Advance Computing managing director Chris Motton said the company is thrilled to give its laptops a second life and empower students and those in need.
On behalf of the City of Greater Shepparton, technology and business transformation manager Samantha Hempenstall expressed a similar view.
“It is a fantastic step towards creating a more inclusive and technologically advanced community ... it opens up a world of possibilities for further education and enhanced digital skills that might not have been available to them previously,” she said.
Organisations involved from the beginning, like GM-W, said they were pleased to see the program thriving.
"We had high hopes for what it could achieve but, if anything, it has surpassed our expectations,” GM-W information technology manager Peter Holland said.
“It makes a huge difference in the lives of the recipients, as the donations ensure their education is not inhibited by not having access to the devices most other students do.
“It also benefits the region more broadly, as providing opportunities like these to people in the community puts them in a better place to give back later on.”