What it does
E2D expands economic opportunity by training young adults, transforming donated technology, and equipping North Carolina communities with essential digital tools to thrive.
Computer Refurbishment and Recycling: We partner with leading corporations to securely source and divert end-of-cycle laptops from landfills. Adhering to strict data-security standards, our specialized tech labs completely sanitize hardware, upgrade internal components, and install modern operating systems and essential educational software. This program creates a sustainable pipeline of high-quality, fully optimized digital assets, transforming corporate electronic waste into powerful, deployment-ready learning tools for families experiencing the digital divide.
Workforce Development: E2D provides systemic economic upward mobility by employing and training historically underrepresented high school and college students as certified IT Lab Technicians. Through structured training, student technicians gain hands-on expertise in hardware engineering, OS deployment, and technical troubleshooting, supplemented by professional mentorship and career-readiness events. This program creates a direct workforce pathway into the technology sector while simultaneously powering our laptop refurbishment ecosystem.
Computer Distribution: To ensure comprehensive at-home digital access, E2D collaborates closely with school systems, affordable housing complexes, community organizations and more to identify and bridge technology gaps for low-income individuals, students and families. We orchestrate targeted, community-based distribution events providing individuals and families with deeply subsidized or free, fully supported laptops.