PCs for People Minnesota partnered with three adult education programs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburbs this January and February to host pop-up shops at their locations for their students. 
Adult Options in Education – Hopkins, Metro North Adult Basic Education – Columbia Heights/Fridley, and Metro South Adult Basic Education – Bloomington all work to support and prepare adults with skills they can use in their future education and career goals. Because several of their members are recent immigrants and not able to easily access our St. Paul retail store, we brought the store to them!
Jenny Naxay, Lead Secretary at Adult Options in Education, said they hosted the event because “We wanted to provide our students with affordable technology and tools they need to succeed. Affordable technology makes a huge impact on our students because many of them have moved here from another country with little money.”
To prepare for the pop-up shop, PCs for People met with teachers and equipped them to help make the event a success by providing information on eligibility and available devices. At each event, teachers and volunteers assisted the shop, including an option to help students set up their newly purchased devices as well as offering the services of translators.
Amy Kilgore, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at Metro South Adult Basic Education, shared that the highlight of the event for her was, “Seeing the huge smile on students’ faces as they walked out with their new computer. Teachers shared with me that on the morning of the sale, the students kept asking their teachers, ‘When?! When was it time to go get their computer?’”
Not only did PCs for People help over 90 students access desktops, laptops, and hotspots, but we also were able to support many of them by enrolling in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides a one-time computer discount and ongoing free monthly mobile hotspot service for as long as the program runs.
PCs for People’s work to bridge the digital divide is only possible through partnerships like these, and we look forward to continued events with these organizations and more.
If you are located in the Twin Cities metro area and are interested in learning more about hosting a pop-up shop event, please contact stpaul@pcsforpeople.org
