We would like to share an exciting opportunity that Tony Eames (Evendon’s parent and LAB member) has brought to our attention and could have far reaching effects not just at Evendons but at many other schools also.
The lockdown, and subsequent need for children to access work at home, has shown how lucky we are to have a device per child at Evendons. 1 in 3 students in the UK are without access to a laptop at home and many schools have struggled to provide the kind of provision that Evendons’ children have been enjoying.
Whilst the government is launching various initiatives to support tech in schools, it is a slow process and Evendons want to leverage our community and gather unused computers, safely wipe the data using HP software, and donate them to students in need.
We are hosting a computer drive to collect laptops you no longer need at home, or at work or even perhaps from a local business you has unused personal computers stashed in a storage room.
There is a labelled container by the main school entrance to put them in.
These devices don’t have to be fancy – all the students need is browser capability. We will use HP Inc. Refresh Software to securely wipe data from all devices and re-image the devices by installing browser-based software. If you choose to erase data and install the software at your own location, follow the HP Refresh Software instructions found on the HP Refresh website. If you prefer to drop off the PCs and have Evendons erase the data, we will be responsible for erasing data from the PCs and installing the browser-based software within the school.
Help us spread the word. If you know any families or individuals that have unused computers to donate please ask them to pass them on.
This is a really exciting project for Evendons to get into and I look forward to seeing it grow!
Here are a few more technical details below:
Where the devices will go:
Once collected and the new web browser enabled devices are ready we will look to support children across the school and beyond should the supplier be available, starting with those most in need of a device.
PC Requirements:
The computers to donate will be wiped and reimaged, they should meet these minimum requirements:
– 64-bit x86 processor or equivalent
– At least 2 GB of memory (RAM)
– Hard drive (4GB or larger)
– Please provide the correct power supply
(Basically, any computer running Windows which is less than 10 years old)
Data Security:
In an era where protecting sensitive information is so important, the ability to ensure user data is securely erased from a data storage device is critical. HP has implemented a disk erase feature for ALL hard disks/SSDs in the HP Refresh Software which meets the NIST SP800-88r1 “Clear” level requirements for the cleaning of disk media.
For more information on the HP Refresh Programme we are following please visit: https://www8.hp.com/us/en/solutions/education/refresh.html