Rook Advisors Donates Warehouse of Computers for Albuquerque Youth

Refurbished computers give students the hardware they need for remote learning due to COVID-19. 

Rook Advisors, an information technology and executive consulting firm, took a warehouse of old computers and laptops and refurbished them for students in the Albuquerque school district. The closures of schools due to the Coronavirus require students to learn remotely, but for many families they don’t have the technology to participate. 

“We were sitting on a lot of hardware that was slated for the recyclers,” says Joel Long, CEO at Rook Advisors. “However, the computer recyclers are considered non-essential, so the hardware was just sitting in our warehouse. Someone suggested there was a need, so I put a tweet out and was overwhelmed that the need is far greater than we could have anticipated”

Albuquerque Public Schools announced a continuous learning plan for students that starts April 13th. They have a limited number of computers available for students and are only able to provide a computer for families that do not already have one. According to Rook Advisors, one Albuquerque Principal indicated that over 400 families would need a computer. 

But even for families that own a computer, moving to online classes may prove difficult. The increase in parents working from home or having multiple students in one household could require more than one computer per family in order for everyone to engage in remote coursework. 

Rook Advisors saw a gap between the amount of students in need of technology and took action to ensure more students could continue to learn in this unprecedented time. The outdated machines destined for the recyclers were instead installed with a new solid state drive and operating system. Then, they were given to students in need.

“We’re so thankful we partner with some great companies that have generously donated hardware for this cause,” says Joel Long.

To make a greater impact, Rook Advisors calls on the business and technology community to contribute their outdated machines to help students continue their education. Any business that has laptops and computers can contact Rook Advisors to have them refurbished and provided to a family in need.