E2D: Summer 2024 Highlights

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we transition into the fall season, we’re reflecting on an incredibly impactful summer, and we are excited to share our journey with you. Your continued support has made it all possible, and we’re thrilled to update you on the strides we’ve made together since May.

Empowering CMS Students Heading to HBCUs:

In May and June, we kicked off the season by distributing 700 laptops to Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students heading to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the fall. We know these devices will make a difference in ensuring students have access to the tools they need to succeed in their academic journey.

A Milestone Grant Award:

In incredible news, E2D has been awarded the prestigious NC Digital Champion Grant! This $1.5 million grant from the state of North Carolina will allow us to expand our mission even further, eliminating digital divides and empowering more North Carolinians with the technology they need.

Sunny Baek:

This summer, we had the privilege of working with our Davidson College intern, Sunny, who explored how artificial intelligence could integrate into our workflow to further increase our impact. Sunny also took the first steps in creating digital skilling videos for our website, helping to prepare individuals for the workforce and beyond. Thank you, Sunny!

Laptops for Affordable Housing Residents:

In May, we distributed laptops at Abbington, an affordable housing apartment complex, thanks to a wonderful partnership with Barings Bank. In August, we continued this impactful work at Sharon Oaks, another affordable housing complex, again made possible through the generosity of Barings. These distributions are critical in ensuring that residents have access to technology, which opens doors to education, employment, and connection.

Celebrating 11 Years of Impact with Laptop Repair Day:

August 24th marked our 11th anniversary,

and with the help of our friends at Duke Energy and the Center for Digital Equity, we celebrated by inviting some of our former clients to bring in laptops for repair. If their devices were beyond repair, they walked away with a brand-new replacement on the same day! It was a powerful reminder of how technology can transform lives!

HBCU Distribution Road Trip:

One of our proudest moments this summer was distributing over 2,000 laptops to HBCUs across North Carolina with the help of the NC Corporate Community. We began in August with Bennett College, followed by an exciting whirlwind week in September where we traveled to Livingstone College, Winston-Salem State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Fayetteville State University, and Elizabeth City State University. Distributing laptops across five schools in four days was an exhilarating and rewarding experience! A special thank you to Duke Energy, Truist and AT&T for supporting this initiative.

It’s shaping up to be an extraordinary year for E2D, and we’re only able to do this work because of supporters like you. Thank you for standing with us as we continue toensure that everyone has access to the technology they need.

With gratitude,

The E2D Team