Forty refurbished laptops and a digital literacy workshop came together in Las Vegas this summer through a collaboration between Digitunity, AT&T, Mentor Me Now Foundation, and Compudopt. Each organization played a different role in helping connect local residents with technology, skills, and support. Digitunity helped lead the collaboration, connecting the broader computer ownership strategy with the organizations and resources needed to implement it locally.
Census Bureau data shows that in 2024 32.9 million people nationwide still don’t have access to computers and over 25.5 million households don’t have reliable broadband internet service needed to participate fully in work, education, healthcare, and other parts of daily life. Computer ownership alone does not ensure that people have the skills to use technology effectively. Creating lasting digital opportunity requires both: a pathway to owning a computer and support that helps people put that technology to use.
The effort reflects what a community-rooted pathway to computer ownership can look like. Mentor Me Now Foundation knows the people it serves and the needs of the local community. Refurbishers like Compudopt play a critical role in extending the useful life of technology, preparing computers for reuse so they can become reliable devices for another person or household. The laptops support a local pathway to computer ownership, while the workshop helps participants build the skills and confidence to use technology effectively.
That combination matters because owning a computer is only one part of participating fully in an increasingly online economy. People also need the skills to use that technology effectively, and local organizations that can connect resources to the people they serve. When community organizations, refurbishers, national partners, and private-sector supporters each play a clear role, individual device distributions can become part of stronger infrastructure for sustained computer ownership.
“Our goal is to make computer ownership possible for everyone, and that requires a strong pathway from technology that is no longer in its first use to the people and communities that can benefit from it. Partnerships like this show what that pathway can look like in practice,” said Scot Henley, Executive Director, Digitunity.
“Technology should never be a barrier to opportunity. At Mentor Me Now Foundation, we believe digital literacy is a gateway to education, employment, entrepreneurship, and lifelong success.” said Dr. LaTonya Miller, Founder & Board Chair, Mentor Me Now Foundation.
Learn more about the Mentor Me Now Foundation.
About Digitunity
Computer ownership is essential for education, employment, healthcare, and full participation in the modern economy. Yet nearly 33 million people in the United States don’t have a computer of their own. Digitunity is a national nonprofit organization building a coordinated system to make computer ownership possible for everyone. By connecting retired technology from businesses and government with trusted community organizations nationwide, we're pursuing a future where everyone has the technology to participate, compete, and prosper.
About Philanthropy at AT&T
At AT&T, our corporate responsibility work is dedicated to bridging the digital divide across the country. We are committed to providing people of all ages and from every community with the essential resources they need to thrive in the digital era. For generations, we have supported programs that impact millions of individuals nationwide, and since 2021, we have committed $5 billion to initiatives that enhance connectivity, promote digital literacy, and improve access to high-speed internet. Our efforts particularly focus on uplifting underserved communities, including students, older adults, and un- or underemployed individuals, ensuring everyone can participate in the digital world and benefit from its opportunities.
