Upcoming Initiatives.
Closing The Gap
Impact 6, with the help of our sponsors will provide free laptops and internet access to high school students based in California.
Students can begin to apply August 6th, 2021
Are you a student in California in need of internet access or a laptop?
Impact 6 receives donations of laptops, both new and refurbished, and allocates these laptops to students in need. We also provide free internet access to households in California who qualify.
Please fill out the form linked below, and our team will reach out to you if we can accommodate your request for a laptop or free internet access.
Closing The Gap FAQs
Which students in California will be eligible to receive computers and internet from #ClosingTheGap? Who is actually procuring and distributing the computers?
We estimated 1.2 million students were disconnected from distance learning based on EdSource Analysis data. Our goal was to close the digital divide for at least 200 households.
Our donors provided enough funds to reach 200 of these families. Therefore, funds were provided contingent on us reaching all families in need, regardless of the type of public school they attend.
The #CloseTheGap partners have ordered the devices and will be distributing them to the approved applicants.
How are the funds raised for the #ClosingTheGap campaign being used?
The estimated cost for a package (computer, wireless hotspot, two years of internet access, licenses for computer programs, and expected tech support for families) is $500/person.
Organizations such as Box, AssetMark, Stephen Joseph, California Street, and the Law Firm Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy have come together to help support our initiative.
Will there be a cost to families for receiving help with home access?
No. Cost is the leading factor that is attributed to the digital divide. Broadband with 1 year of free service will be provided to families in need. Laptops provided to families for student use are also at no cost and are theirs to keep.
How are you ensuring that students and families who actually need computers will get them? In other words, how is equity at the center of the #ClosingTheGap distribution process?
Beginning August 6th, we are collecting information from families across California to identify who needs devices.
All California students will have access to our Closing The Gap application process. The application process is designed to determine which students and families are in need of our services the most.
How are we using, sharing, and protecting all of the data that is going to be collected from families?
All personal data is securely stored and will not be shared outside of the Impact 6 organizations. Families will never be contacted by outside organizations or vendors. Contact information will only be used to communicate with families about technology needs, access, and support.
Does the campaign need additional funding?
Yes! We have completed phase 1 so that all students in need will receive a computer, internet, and support for the 2020-21 school year, but it is imperative that we continue to fundraise to ensure we can sustain this initial effort and close the digital divide after this year. Additionally, we are assessing other needs for future phases, and anticipate fundraising gaps to support classrooms, educators, and supporting this effort (i.e. teacher tech support, professional development, supporting preschool + college students) to expand our impact.
How is #ClosingTheGap helping families who need internet access, especially at the start of the school year?
We are providing every family who needs it with 1 year of free internet access.
We have enough funds to supply 200 households with free internet access.
Additional hotspots will become available in early August as the Tech Check survey is completed. We will make hotspots available as early as possible, even if permanent Chromebooks take a few more weeks to be delivered and distributed.
How do I get involved in the campaign?
See below for a list of some of the ways you can get involved in the campaign.
Support the campaign. By donating to our Closing The Gap Kindest Page.
If you are interested in getting your organization to participate in the Closing The Gap initiative feel free to email info@impact6.org.
Project Period
Right now, nearly 1 in 5 girls in the U.S will miss school due to lack of period protection. Project Period is an annual initiative providing essential menstrual Healthcare Products to those most in need, create a positive environment during this extremely difficult year, and build genuine relationships that will extend far beyond our shared event day. You can support this initiative by donating or signing up to become a volunteer.
Corona Relief Project
We’ll be handing out supplies, including hand sanitizer, masks, and toiletries to our homeless communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and Austin. The homeless have been often left behind throughout this pandemic, but we would like to remind them they are not forgotten.