Intel Corporation, Arizona’s largest technology developer and manufacturer, is helping close the digital divide for thousands of students in the Chandler School District, marking a successful first year of its Education Technology as a Service (ETaaS) Initiative pilot.

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In 2022, Intel worked with Dell Technologies (Dell) and the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) to implement a strategy to help address the digital divide and access to technology. Additionally, Intel and Dell made a joint investment of $1.6 million in support of this initiative to create a new blueprint for how devices are deployed in schools and transform how K-12 embraces education technology.

One year later, students and teachers in the Chandler District use education technology (EdTech) distributed from the initiative to engage and motivate students to learn, empower educators to teach creatively, and improve educational equity and student outcomes. Since the inception of the program in 2022, the technology has been used to help narrow the existing digital divide, curb student learning loss, and shift to personalized learning.

“ETaaS enabled us to help all our students vie for scholarship opportunities, career opportunities, or whatever comes after high school for them,” said Michael Louis Franklin Jr., Principal of Chandler High School. “With access to high-powered devices that they can use anytime, anywhere, students have even more ability to take on opportunities that, frankly, could put them in a position where they could potentially change their entire generational lineage.”

Under the ETaaS initiative, more than 4,000 laptops have been distributed to students, teachers, and staff at Chandler High School. To further support student education, students also received access to 24/7 portable LTE-enabled devices that can be taken home, enabling students with limited or no internet connectivity to use their devices to complete homework. Educators can leverage their device features to improve blended learning to accelerate student outcomes.

“It’s really transformed the way I teach, which means my students get to learn things that they normally wouldn’t be able to while developing real-world skills and discovering new ways to communicate and collaborate,” said Samantha Seery, Teacher at Chandler High School. “With every student having a laptop, students who are struggling can learn at their own pace, while students who might be at a higher level can enrich their learning.”

In addition, the laptops allow students to use applications and programs that require higher computing power to learn advanced skills like modeling and simulation, AI and machine learning, and programming and coding.

“This initiative helps to ensure equal learning opportunities and access to the latest tools and resources for students from all backgrounds. Guided by our RISE Goals, Intel is committed to leveraging the power of technology to strengthen our community and to help overcome technology barriers,” said Liz Shipley, Public Affairs Director at Intel Arizona.