Insight Donates Laptops to Girls at Montreal Teen Haven Homes

Insight Canada’s Women in IT teammate resource group promotes Reach mission to help children through technology 

TEMPE, Ariz., August 6, 2019 – A group of IT women from Insight Enterprises (NASDAQ: NSIT), the global solution integrator of Insight Intelligent Technology Solutions™ for organizations of all sizes, teamed up with Danielle Raymond, the IT Technician who spearheaded the project, on July 10 to give 15 laptops to teenagers living at nonprofit Teen Haven residential group homes in Montreal.

Teammates from the Montreal chapter of Insight Women in IT, one of the company’s employee-led resource groups, decided this year to repurpose Lenovo laptops with pre-installed McAfee security software for donation to local girls in need. This group's mission aligns with Insight's Reach program, which encourages teammates to boost children’s futures by giving through technology, the Montreal chapter found a new way to bring older computers to life.

Danielle Raymond, an Insight Canada systems technician, oversaw the reconfiguration of the laptops. She said the computers were going to be recycled after reaching the end of their business usefulness, but Insight Women in IT recognized the devices could help underprivileged young women at Teen Haven, giving them an added means to further their education while encouraging them to think about joining the field of information technology.

“Community engagement always has been at the forefront of defining what success looks like for Insight Women in IT,” said Anna Spencer, an account executive at Insight Canada who leads the local Insight Women in IT chapter. “We’re eager to bridge the gender gap that exists today in the IT industry, and women need the opportunity from a young age to feel empowered by their interactions with technology. By providing laptops to girls at Teen Haven, we hope we’re giving them a jumpstart towards that end, and we are excited to continue to build our partnership with Teen Haven.”

Teen Haven offers a structured setting with academic and social programs to assist youth in care. Its Moffat and Lasalle homes both serve girls between the ages of 12 to 18.

“This generation has grown up with technology in hand, however so many of our youth lack basic access to technological devices to help support their academic success, social connection and other positive experiences,” said Wendy Lavier, executive director at Teen Haven. “Donations like this help to improve programming and achieve academic success, while strengthening their autonomy. We are encouraged by the generosity of those at Insight, and we look forward to future initiatives that empower women.”

The Montreal chapter of Insight Women in IT has devoted several hours of their time to raising funds for local nonprofits that help young women. Besides Teen Haven, the group has committed to providing an annual $1,000 scholarship for the next three years through Concordia University to women entering the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science. The school is the first of its kind in Canada to be named after a woman.