One third of Americans lack the digital skills needed to engage successfully in today’s economy. Therefore, it’s not too surprising that most people would be intimidated to look inside their computer, let alone build a computer from scratch. Jerad, who works at Adelante DiverseIT®, wanted to do his part to help address this issue. He knew he could take his expertise and show that building computers or using them doesn’t have to be intimidating. Thanks to a Kivitz Legacy Innovation Grant from Adelante, Jerad set a plan in motion to host a class about building computers and invited Adelante employees and clients, as well as their family members, to help construct an entry-level gaming computer.
Jerad’s class on building computers has a positive impact.
Jerad has built hundreds of computers during his career at DiverseIT and in other repair shops. Overall, he wanted to show people that they can avoid overpriced retailers and build a good working computer by choosing your own components. Furthermore, Jerad emphasized in his grant application how building computers can improve tech literacy. By knowing what to look for when purchasing computer parts, people can avoid pitfalls and potential scams. For example, even sellers on reputable websites and stores, he noted, use lots of buzz words to sell low-quality computer parts to unsuspecting buyers. Learning the basic parts of a computer also helps people improve their tech literacy overall. Understanding how a computer’s parts work together helps people feel more confident and comfortable using technology.
During the class, Jerad went through the entire process of building a computer, providing tips along the way. He discussed the aspects of buying cheap versus expensive parts and offered advice on when to splurge and where people can save money. Jerad went through each part of a computer, discussed their purpose, and demonstrated installing them. Jerad and other DiverseIT staff passed around examples of the parts so people could learn in a hands-on way. Topics like cable management, and websites like PCPartPicker.com that can help people choose the best computer parts were also discussed in the training.
Finally, Jerad raffled off the finished computer to attendees. Danielle, one of Adelante’s direct support staff, won the raffle.
Adelante builds up-and-coming leaders through grants.
In addition to addressing community needs, the Innovation Fund grants are designed to nurture and train up-and-coming nonprofit leaders. By planning, budgeting for, and running projects, Adelante staff and clients learn practical skills about leadership.
Jerad had to plan out his expenses, complete a grant application, and upon funding, present his grant project at a luncheon with his peers. Then, he had to organize the class, coordinate technology for virtual attendees, and set up the training room to engage the participants and help them learn.
Of course, like most projects, this was a team effort. Jerad enlisted the help of his fellow DiverseIT staff and delegated jobs throughout the team. He worked with Adelante’s marketing department to advertise the class and had a mentor from the development team to guide him. Jerad also incentivized attendance by raffling off the final computer to attendees.
Other leadership skills were gained along the way. For example, Jerad had to get out of his comfort zone to teach the group and handle the public speaking. He didn’t initially realize running a project meant speaking so much about it, but that is an important part of running any program or service, and he ended up doing it well. In the end, Jerad was proud to grow his personal brand as a thought leader in tech at Adelante. “What I enjoyed the most was being able to share all of my knowledge with Adelante employees and their friends,” said Jerad.
You can also take advantage of these tech skills by working with DiverseIT!
Jerad’s grant is done, but tech work continues at DiverseIT. If you or someone you know is an avid gamer and is looking for a new, powerful computer, Jerad and the team at DiverseIT can build custom gaming PCs for just $150 plus parts. Customers choose the parts they wish to have in their device.
Of course, DiverseIT also gives away computers to people with disabilities and local nonprofits. Applications are taken on the Request Computer tab on the DiverseIT website. Currently, the team is also offering free classes that are open to the public, thanks to a grant from Comcast. A list of those classes is on the website under Computer Classes. If you do not have a disability but would still like to have a low-cost computer, you can purchase desktop computers through DiverseIT for just $75. With this help, you can become a more confident user of technology, too!
The public can support these initiatives by donating computers or getting their computers repaired through DiverseIT. The team repairs Macs and PCs, desktops and laptops.
For more information on any of these tech services, send an email to DiverseIT@GoAdelante.org or call (505)881-8324.