HOUSTON — Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson shuffled through boxes of computers in a rare move— keeping out of the spotlight and to the sidelines of a computer giveaway for Houston students.
The Deshaun Watson Foundation teamed up with Reliant and Comp-U-dopt to bridge the gap for families in need.
“This is an essential in making the decision whether or not you want to send your child back to school. This having a computer should not be a factor in that decision,” an organizer said.
Because of COVID19, schools across the country are starting the academic year with options for virtual learning, but without adequate resources, many families may not have the luxury to choose.
And in districts where socially distanced learning is the only option, students who don't have access to a computer risk falling behind.
“Distance learning and the digital divide are such a big issue right now,” another organizer said. “And so what we wanted to do was be able to provide these students with the technology that they need that they might not have access to so that they can be prepared to go back to school.”
Reliant has committed $150,000 plus $25,000 from Watson to fund the initiative.
Wednesday’s drive thru event ushered 500 families through NRG to pick up their new technology.
“Each student is getting a recondition desktop computer that equipped with Windows 10 operating system, so they'll be able to access things like Zoom and Microsoft Teams,” an organizer said. “They'll all be getting a brand-new monitor, mouse and keyboard as well as a wireless dongle so they can connect to Wi Fi in their home.”
Stocked with newfound resources, these students are now prepared to log in for the school year.
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