Publication Date
Facilitate college success with the right digital tools
The transition from high school to college is a significant milestone in a student’s academic journey. Faced with inequalities, particularly digital ones, it is also a critical moment. True to its mission of providing technological support for success, the ITI Foundation has donated over 140 laptops to the Foundation of Cégep de Trois-Rivières to be loaned to their students.
Since the pandemic, the Foundation of Cégep de Trois-Rivières has been lending more than a hundred laptops to students who request them, regardless of their field of study. Today, many of these laptops have become outdated as they no longer meet the required update standards and lose a great deal of efficiency. This is why the ITI Foundation has committed to renewing the fleet by loaning 147 used laptops for a period of 24 months.
The challenges of transitioning from high school to college
Several elementary and secondary schools provide laptops in class. Students arrive at college accustomed to using these tools in their learning. However, students whose families cannot afford to buy a laptop find themselves without access and at a disadvantage.
More than a laptop: a tool for success and for feeling like everyone else
The success of young people largely depends on the conditions in which they grow up. At the beginning of adulthood, faced with financial pressure, many college students must work, which can hinder their academic success. Providing them with computer equipment as a loan also gives them an equal chance of success while encouraging their perseverance.
I needed to borrow a computer because I couldn’t afford to buy one. It allows me to complete my assignments and participate in group projects. Knowing that I have this option greatly reduces my anxiety.
This tool allowed me to better participate in my classes and team projects. On several occasions, I was able to work in class on the laptop loaned by the college instead of having to wait until the course ended to work with my teammates on a library computer. I felt less different.
It helps me greatly and keeps me motivated.
Inequalities across all study programs
Students benefiting from the loan program come from all fields of study, including technical programs (industrial or civil engineering, administrative techniques, and computer science techniques) as well as pre-university programs (Social sciences, Tremplin DEC, and administrative techniques). Among them, more than one out of two is an international student or a student receiving adapted services, which means they have a visual, auditory, motor, or organic limitation, or a learning, mental health, or attention disorder.
Not all students can afford their own laptops. Thus, the loan program promotes equal opportunities, strengthens students’ autonomy in managing their work, and allows them to acquire digital skills while relieving students and their families of financial stress. This service is essential to the college community.
For my part, I am an international student and a mother of two daughters. Financially, it was not feasible to invest in a new laptop. I tried to complete my work on the library computers, but it was very inconvenient as I could only access them during the hours when my daughters were at school. Since last semester, I have been using the laptop loan program, and it has truly made my studies easier. After putting my daughters to bed, I can now work on my assignments from home.
Help us equip young people to face technology
Since 2021, the ITI Foundation has helped more than 515 young people in Quebec by supporting technological projects in elementary schools, specialized classes, living environments, and with youth under the care of the DPJ. We are always looking for partners, donors, and collaborators to transform IT, but most importantly, lives.
