Technology is everywhere, and in today’s world, it is nearly impossible to not use technology in some capacity in one’s day-to-day life. In schools, many students are expected to complete homework and classwork assignments online, so not having the necessary technology can be detrimental to their learning.
To bridge the gap of digital literacy amongst younger generations, Taymax Group partnered with Digitunity, an organization that connects businesses with local nonprofits who use the donated IT technology to provide digital literacy to marginalized communities. At the end of 2023, Digitunity started working with Taymax to find an organization close to the fitness brand’s office. After some research, Digitunity connected Taymax with iNERDE (New Education for Radical Development), a group that uses donated computer devices to introduce youth to STEM.
Taymax donated over 50 laptops, a few monitors and several desktops to iNERDE. The devices were from Taymax’s clubs in the United States and Canada. The retired devices no longer served Taymax’s business needs, but the group wanted the devices to be able to benefit those who did not have access to computers. Rather than sending the devices to a landfill where they would be wasted, the group collected them, cleaned them up and donated them to a worthy cause.
Elan Sablich, the IT director with Taymax Group, noted that it became apparent to him how common it is for households to lack the necessary technology for learning during the pandemic, when many students completed their schooling online.
“One big takeaway from the height of the pandemic for me was the number of households that didn’t have access to a computer. We saw this in our local school, with public school IT teams rushing to supply every student with a Chromebook. For some households, one computer was being shared between multiple family members for Zoom calls, schools, job applications and more,” Sablich said. “Digitunity is doing the part of connecting organizations like Taymax with vetted local nonprofit organizations that are helping bridge this digital divide. In the same way that Planet Fitness® believes that health and wellness should be within reach for all, I believe that digital literacy should be available to everyone, and our donations help bridge the gap and unlock opportunities for these communities.”
Taymax’s generous donation changed the lives of many kids, forever impacting their future for the better. The franchise group wants to partner with Digitunity and iNERDE again next year to continue helping those in need.
