On April 30, 2025, the Board of Berkeley Unified School District (California USA) approved a program designed to transform the growing flood obsolete Chromebooks into an opportunity to train students in electronics repair, address the digital divide, and promote sustainability.
The initiative is a collaboration among:
BUSD Technology Department
BUSD Climate Literacy Initiative
BUSD MakerSpace Program
Berkeley Public Schools Fund
BUSD Office of Family Engagement and Equity
BUSD Sustainability
Fixit Clinic
Its success is a testimony to the power of collaborative work, focused on a creative yet straightforward solution to an urgent and seemingly intractable problem.
Program Summary
Chromebooks have been deployed widely across the country to support in-school and at-home learning.
The problem: After some years Google phases out support for operating systems. Even though the hardware might be sound, devices cannot be used. A vast number of Chromebooks distributed during the pandemic are becoming unusable, and a very large portion of them end up as e-waste, often in Southeast Asia.
Current practices: BUSD currently resells obsoleted Chromebooks at auction. It takes staff time to prepare units for sale and the district has no way of controlling units’ disposition after sale.
The Chromebook Rescue Program presents a rich alternative:
Repair and refurbish devices, replacing Google’s no-longer-supported operating systems with open source Linux operating systems.
Involve students in the repair process, offering them valuable experience in electronics repair and problem-solving skills, and paid internship opportunities.
Distribute devices at no cost to BUSD students and families in need, addressing the digital divide.
Educate students and the community on the urgency of reducing electronic waste and fostering environmentally responsible practices through creative reuse of old devices.
Control the disposition of out of date devices.
As of February 2026, some 300 units have been overhauled by City of Berkeley YouthWorks students, and distribution logistics are being worked out.
This effort involves multiple sectors — public, philanthropic, non-profit and private — and multiple departments within the district.
Its success is a testimony to the power of collaborative work, focused on a creative yet straightforward solution to an urgent and seemingly intractable problem.
Stay tuned for a detailed Note about the program, forthcoming.
In the meanwhile, download the project proposal for details: