FRISCO, TX – These days it’s so easy to speak on social media about the changes you wish to see, but not often do you find a group of teenagers who are willing to BE the change they wish to see.
While many teens spend a majority of their time distracted by technology, Restart, a Frisco non-profit founded by teenagers, aspires to provide equity in access to technology for children across the world.
Rania Khan, Age 13, (incoming freshman at Heritage High School) and Rohan Nayak, Age 16 (student at Texas Academy of Math and Science) are the founders of Restart and are hope to combat what is known as the digital divide.
What is a digital divide? It’s the gap that exists between individuals who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who lack access. It was this in mind that Restart was founded 7 months ago, focused on delivering laptops and computers to children all across the DFW area. Rania and Rohan share,
We realized that hundreds of thousands of children all around the world would be left with no access to technology as they cannot afford it financially. We started Restart to give back in our community to the children who cannot afford the laptops so that they are able to learn more and get started on furthering their success to be set for their future.
Unfortunately, some children have significantly less access to resources due to the zip code in which they live. Access to technology is so critical in this day and age, as there’s been a greater presence of laptops and computers within education spaces and the workforce.
Without organizations like Restart taking the lead, the technology gap will continue to widen, leaving those without quality access to computers and Internet connection drastically behind on the learning curve.
Restart’s mission entails receiving used laptops from larger companies as well as the public and refurbishing them to be donated to a variety of shelters everywhere. They will purchase the specific components of each computer that need to be replaced, fixing it themselves, and then ship or drop off the packages to the shelters they’ve connected with.
The 501c3 nonprofit is aiming to fully launch this month and will be ready to receive donations.
