2 Tri-Cities laptop donation programs aim to help college students

Cadwell Industries and WSU Tri-Cities’ student government are working to get laptops into the hands of Tri-Cities college students.

Cadwell, a Kennewick-based medical device manufacturer, donated 90 laptops to Washington State University Tri-Cities, Heritage University and Columbia Basin College.

The computers are aimed at helping first-generation students who might not have access to them. They will be loaned out to students through the libraries.

“It is our pleasure to support the students at our local higher education institutions,” Cadwell’s CEO Patrck Jensen said in a news release. “We are proud of all of the students who are continuing to take classes during this challenging time and hope this donation makes a difference to the ability for students to continue pursuing their degrees.”

A similar program started up at WSU Tri-Cities with $9,700 coming from student government to buy 20 laptops for students to check out.

“We hope that this new program will help to close some of the equity gaps within higher education,” student body President Robin Kovis said in a release. “More than anything, the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted some of the deep economic inequalities our country still faces today … Our campus community is not immune to these financial hardships.”

The program is in addition to an existing system-wide effort by the university to loan Chromebooks and a Wi-Fi hotspot to students through the WSU Provost’s Office.

This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 2:55 PM.