Newport kids will gain opportunities to explore technology through a grant that provides free computers and a STEAM enrichment program for young students.
At this year’s Newport Night Out event, Compudopt, a national nonprofit, was set up to give away 100 computers through a grant it received from TC Energy. The nonprofit works to close the technology gap through free or low-cost internet access, computer distribution and technology education.
Newport Night Out is a free family event hosted annually by the Newport Police Department before kids go back to school. The event offers free giveaways for families and brings together the community with first responders, local businesses and organizations.
Compudopt received the grant specifically for Campbell County and connected with Newport Independent Schools. The nonprofit prioritizes schools and organizations serving underserved populations, including communities with limited access to STEM education.
“The biggest thing is just giving our students and our staff more and more opportunities, and giving our kids access to additional resources that they may not be able to have otherwise,” said Newport Independent Schools Superintendent Matt Atkins.
The grant also covers a technical education cohort for 15-18 Newport students in the first and second grade. Compudopt Chief Experience Officer Rita Stall was at Newport Night Out and said that the school selected Compudopt’s “Tiny Tech.” It is a free STEAM enrichment program featuring the “Zoo Squad Program,” which helps young students understand the role technology plays in their daily lives.
“It’s exposing them to technology, getting them more interested in technology and potentially exposing some potential careers that they might be interested in in the future,” Stall said.
The computers are for students who don’t have a computer at home. Stall explained how the computer lottery system worked.
“When anybody lands on our website or they come to one of our events they can register to get on our lottery list,” she said. “When we get grant dollars in, we will randomly pull people off our lottery list, usually from the people who’ve been on it the longest and then they will get a text message from us that just tells us the date and the time to come pick up their computer.”
Since 2007, Stall said Compudopt has kept 945,000 pounds of e-waste out of landfills.
Newport Police Lieutenant Jeff Kohls helped organize Tuesday’s event. He said “National Night Out” events were created as a community engagement event for police departments to get to know the community better.
“Hopefully, they [families] get two things: they get what they need to have a successful school year, and they get a sense of family of what being a Newport Wildcat is really about,” Kohls said.
