Since the ChromeZone was established in 2014 as part of Evanston’s 1:1 Digital Learning Initiative, it has grown to support over 4,000 student and staff devices. Here’s an update on what they’ve been up to this year.

Over the summer, the ChromeZone has nearly doubled the amount of daily loaners available to students to 140, along with over 100 long term loaners.

Student volunteers and the Information and Technology Internships class have repaired 387 Chromebooks since August. Though they still have dozens of repairs left, they encourage students whose Chromebooks are in repair to check out daily or long term loaners if they don’t have access to another computer at home.

The ChromeZone also has a new Positive Impact Program, in which students billed for a broken computer can receive a free, insured Samsung Chromebook if they can plan a project that positively affects their community using their new device.

They also invite teachers to join their “Next Gen Chromebooks Pilot Program”, a program to deploy several touch screen Chromebooks to faculty to test drive and give feedback.

They ChromeZone also reports that over 50 daily loaners do not get returned regularly. To combat this they urge teachers to remind students to return them at the end of the day or collect loaners at the end of class and call the ChromeZone to pick them up.

Any student interested in supporting the ChromeZone is encouraged to sign up to volunteer. No experience is necessary. You can also support the ChromeZone by purchasing a limited edition fleece jacket for $35.