AIS Labs

Got an old laptop? It could change someone’s life…

We are holding a computer drive to connect adult literacy students in Detroit with used laptops in good condition. We have partnered with the Dominican Literacy Center of Detroit (www.dlcliteracy.org), and have committed to connect at least 20 adult students with laptops meeting the operating/system requirements outlined below by July 15th.

Imagine how isolated you would feel if you could not read. You would not be able to manage the most basic tasks for independent living – like filling out forms, understanding a bus schedule, or registering to vote. The Dominican Literacy Center provides adult students with free, personalized, one-on-one training. It is one of the few literacy centers in Detroit that focuses on maintaining dignity with private, 1-on-1 coaching.

The Dominican Literacy Center’s computer program has been made possible largely in part to private donations. By connecting adult students with laptops, we can empower them to reinforce their adult literacy lessons at home by practicing typing (and experiencing spell check!). Adults can also go to their nearest restaurant with free Wi-Fi and use the Dominican Literacy Center’s online workshops to improve their comprehension and writing skills even faster.

This is also a great way to recycle electronics and get the full life out of them before scrapping their parts.

We have partnered with AIS (www.aislabs.com), a suburban-based technology firm, to erase the hard drives, reload licensed or free programs, and get them Wi-Fi ready, so you can rest assured that no personal information previously saved on the computers will be accessed by future users.

All we need now is the computers! If you have an old personal laptop that meets the requirements below that you are willing to donate, please let us know. Donations will be accepted through June 30th.

Thanks for your consideration! Read more about the literacy crisis in Detroit here: http://www.theroot.com/buzz/study-nearly-half-detroit-residents-are-illiterate

Laptop Requirements:

Macintosh or Windows Based Laptop with legally licensed operating system.

Minimum Requirements:

• Mac OS 10.4 or newer/Windows XP Home or newer
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless Access required
• 60GB Hard Drive or greater
• CD ROM Drive
• USB
• Working Battery and Power Cord
• Legal Copies of MS Office/MS Word Preferred

WiFi Capable Netbooks and Tablet Computers with Android or iOS accepted.

Will not accept Desktop Computers, Monitors, or Printers.