Many Riverside County families have limited access to a computer, either at home or in their community. This makes it almost impossible for them to leverage new technologies that can improve outcomes in education, communication and the overall quality of life.
To address this challenge, the Digital Equity Program (DEP) is dedicated to ensuring all Riverside County households have access to internet-ready computers. Through DEP, the County partners with qualifying organizations to deploy refurbished computers at no cost to underserved families and individuals.
Benefits to Riverside County Households
Access to DEP’s internet-ready computers will help Riverside County households:
- Improve their quality of life
- Access more economic opportunities, such as online job postings, child care assistance programs and more
- Participate in online education offerings, such as virtual tutoring and web-based classes
- Become more engaged in the local and global community
Benefits to the Environment
DEP is also a component of Riverside County’s Green strategy, which provides a cost-effective method for reducing the County’s carbon footprint. This sustainability method focuses on two complementary goals:
- Increasing the capacity of Riverside County residents to engage in e-government
- Reducing the County’s e-waste by repurposing computers for residents’ use
Refurbishing and repurposing computers in this manner will help reduce the County’s e-waste while equipping residents so that they can better utilize online services and supports. This, in turn, decreases the need for residents to visit County offices in person, thus reducing traffic and our usage of carbon-generating resources.
DEP Community Partners
DEP works directly with qualifying organizations to ensure residents can access refurbished computers. For more information on becoming a DEP Partner, please click the link below.