More than 300 scholars developed pitches across SMASH sites this summer, with 20 finalists representing five teams advancing to the national stage.
Watch scholars from SMASH Atlanta, Berkeley, Michigan, Morehouse and Northeastern present the tech solutions they built around real challenges in their communities, answer questions from our judges and find out which team took home first place.
For students preparing for college, careers, and futures in STEM, access to technology is not a nice-to-have. It is foundational.
A laptop can be a classroom, a research tool, a coding workspace, a college application portal, a creative studio, and a bridge to opportunity. It can help a student complete assignments, explore new interests, prepare for internships, apply for scholarships, and begin building the skills that shape the modern workforce.
That idea came to life through the collaboration between SMASH and Inspiredu, two organizations working to expand opportunity for young people through STEM education, digital access, and community-centered learning.
This summer, SMASH and Inspiredu partnered for the Inspiredu x SMASH Digital Literacy Workshop Series, an Atlanta-based collaboration designed to strengthen students’ digital skills and connect them with the technology tools they need to keep learning and building beyond the workshop.
As part of the partnership, Inspiredu provided laptops for participating SMASH Atlanta scholars.
For SMASH scholars, the workshop series was more than a one-day event. It was part of a broader pathway: access to STEM learning, exposure to college environments, connection to community partners, and the tools to pursue what comes next.
Digital literacy is now part of how students learn, communicate, create, and prepare for the future. From completing schoolwork to researching colleges, building resumes, applying for programs, exploring AI tools, learning to code, or collaborating on projects, students need reliable access to technology to fully participate in today’s education and career landscape.
But access is not evenly distributed. Too many students still struggle to have reliable devices, digital tools, and the support needed to use technology with confidence.
That is where Inspiredu’s work meets SMASH’s mission.
SMASH has spent over 25 years preparing students for STEM degrees, careers, and leadership through rigorous, cost-free programming, college exposure, and career-connected opportunities. Inspiredu works to bridge the digital divide in Atlanta by refurbishing donated laptops and providing them to community members who complete digital literacy training. Inspiredu’s laptop program includes Windows OS, one year of Windows Defender, and one year of tech support from Leapfrog.
Together, SMASH and Inspiredu are connecting two sides of the same equation: preparing students for STEM opportunities and making sure they have the tools to pursue them.
The collaboration between SMASH and Inspiredu was formalized for the first time this year in 2026. The agreement establishes a collaborative framework for a facilitated workshop and in-kind laptop exchange, engaging youth and community stakeholders in solving real-world challenges through innovation and technology.
Through the partnership, SMASH will support the collaboration through venue access at Morehouse College, student recruitment, local communications, registration support, participant communication, and on-site branding. Inspiredu will provide technology access, educational workshop content, laptops for participating scholars, event coordination, marketing support, and post-event data sharing.
The result is a partnership that is both practical and deeply mission-aligned.
SMASH scholars will receive more than a device. They will participate in a basic digital literacy learning experience designed to help them strengthen skills, build confidence, and understand how technology can support their education, career exploration, and future goals.
Inspiredu brings local expertise in digital access and community-based technology programming. SMASH brings a long-standing commitment to preparing students from underrepresented communities to thrive in STEM. Together, the organizations are investing in students’ immediate needs and long-term potential.
During the Inspiredu x SMASH Digital Literacy Workshop Series, students took part in a facilitated learning experience focused on digital skills, technology access, and real-world application.
The partnership framework centered on hands-on learning and access. SMASH scholars participated in a facilitated workshop focused on engaging youth and community stakeholders in solving real-world challenges through innovation and technology.
For SMASH scholars, that experience built on the larger arc of their summer program. Students were not just learning about STEM in the abstract. They were building the skills, relationships, and confidence to see themselves as future engineers, technologists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers.
The laptop each participating scholar received can support that journey long after the workshop ends. It can help them complete summer assignments, explore coding tools, prepare for college applications, research career pathways, build projects, and stay connected to learning opportunities.
Hosting this collaboration in Atlanta, with scholars connected to Morehouse, added another layer of meaning.
Atlanta is a city shaped by education, innovation, civil rights history, entrepreneurship, and a growing technology ecosystem. Morehouse and represents a powerful legacy of Black excellence, leadership, scholarship, and community impact.
Bringing digital literacy programming and laptop access to SMASH scholars in this context was not just about supporting students for one workshop or one summer. It was about investing in young people who are already preparing to lead in STEM, technology, and innovation.
For students in the room, the workshop series offered a chance to build practical digital skills while being surrounded by institutions and organizations that reflect what is possible. It connected access with aspiration. It connected learning with tools. It connected local partnership with long-term opportunity.
SMASH and Inspiredu approached the work from different but deeply connected angles.
SMASH focuses on preparing students for STEM pathways through rigorous academic learning, college exposure, mentorship, and career-connected experiences. Inspiredu focuses on bridging the digital divide by connecting learners with devices, training, and ongoing support.
Together, the organizations addressed both opportunity and access.
Students need strong STEM programming, but they also need reliable technology. They need exposure to careers, but they also need the tools to complete assignments, explore ideas, and practice the digital skills that shape modern learning. They need encouragement, but they also need infrastructure.
That is what made this collaboration meaningful: it was local, practical, and rooted in long-term student success.
“At SMASH, we know that talent is everywhere, but access to opportunity is not,” CEO of SMASH Jonathan Durfield said. “This partnership with Inspiredu helps ensure our scholars have both the STEM learning experiences and the technology tools needed to pursue their goals.”
For Inspiredu CEO Richard Hicks, the connection is clear.
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“Digital access is essential to opportunity. Through this partnership with SMASH, we’re proud to help equip students with the tools and skills they need to keep learning, building, and preparing for their futures.”
As SMASH celebrates 25 years of expanding access to STEM education, partnerships like this reflect what the next chapter of the work requires.
No single organization can close opportunity gaps alone. Building a more inclusive STEM workforce takes schools, nonprofits, funders, employers, community organizations, and local leaders working together to create stronger pathways for students.
The Inspiredu x SMASH Digital Literacy Workshop Series was one example of that ecosystem in action. It brought together program expertise, technology resources, local relationships, and a shared commitment to student opportunity.
The Inspiredu x SMASH Digital Literacy Workshop Series was one moment in a much larger journey.
For participating scholars, the laptops and digital literacy training can support schoolwork, summer learning, college preparation, career exploration, and creative projects long after the event ends.
For SMASH and Inspiredu, the collaboration reflected a shared belief: when students have access to both rigorous learning and the tools to keep building, they are better positioned to pursue the futures they imagine for themselves.
As SMASH continues its 25th anniversary year, the organization is celebrating not only its history, but also the partnerships helping shape what comes next: more access, more pathways, and more young people prepared to lead in STEM.
Together, SMASH and Inspiredu helped Atlanta scholars build the skills, confidence, and digital foundation to keep moving forward.
Learn more about SMASH’s 25 years of building STEM pathways and powering the next generation of leaders at smash.org/25thanniversary
With your support, we are committed to continue shaping the future of STEM by ensuring students from all backgrounds have access to knowledge, resources, and experiences to prepare them for their futures.
For a limited time, every gift to SMASH will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the SMASH Board of Directors, up to $350,000.
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