Work for Humankind: Lenovo Pairs With N.C. HBCU To Change the Face of Conservation

Lenovo, a Fortune Global 500 technology company, will kick off the North Carolina activation of its Work For Humankind initiative next week, enlisting students from Elizabeth City State University and Lenovo volunteers to do their studies and work remotely while traversing North Carolina’s Mountain to Sea Trail as they work together on conservation efforts across the state.

Lenovo’s Work For Humankind is an initiative that set out to change how people work, for good. Last year, ambitious volunteers had the opportunity to make a positive, long-lasting difference on the Robinson Crusoe Island, off the coast of Chile, whilst working from one of the most remote offices in the world. Leveraging Lenovo technology, these volunteers donated their professional skills while working their regular jobs completely remotely to support vital conservation efforts led by Island Conservation and the Robinson Crusoe Island community.

This North Carolina activation is a continuation of the initiative in Lenovo’s home state, as North Carolina is home to one of the company’s two global headquarters.

Groups of students will board a van equipped with cutting-edge Lenovo technology – from devices to solutions and services – to make the weeks-long trek, stopping in the Outer Banks, Burgaw, and Cherokee to work on local projects alongside Lenovo employees.

• Jockey’s Ridge, Outer Banks (May 1-5) – Students will spend the week doing a risk/hazard analysis for different ocean surges using cloud-based software developed for FEMA. They will also volunteer at Pea Island Wildlife Refuge and spend time at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station.
• Burgaw (May 8-12) – Using Lenovo technology, students will capture visuals and build a webpage about the area’s Black history, movies shot in the area, and local landmarks. QR codes linked to the webpage will then be posted on trailhead markers around the area.
• Cherokee (May 15-19) – Students will capture visuals and produce content highlighting key aspects of the trail which will then be translated into the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian native language via a mobile app that will be accessible to anyone hiking the trail. Additionally, students will support local conservation efforts from the floods brought by the remnants of Hurricane Nicole in 2022. Area towns are still recovering from complete devastation and landscape changes of trails due to the heavy rainfall.

Changing the Face of Conservation

The North Carolina activation of Work For Humankind is among several initiatives led by Lenovo that aims to strengthen the ties between the technology sector in North Carolina and the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A National Park survey found just 6% of National Park visitors are Black, while 77% are white. Through Work For Humankind, Lenovo and Elizabeth City State University are changing the face of conservation by including underrepresented groups in efforts to solve complex environmental issues of our time.

Work Hybrid Like Never Before

True to its vision of leading and delivering smarter technology for all, Lenovo recognizes that technology is pivotal in creating the flexibility to fulfil workers’ and students’ desires to have a remote work environment while concurrently enabling them to participate in activities that better the planet.

About Lenovo’s Work For Humankind Project

In December 2021, Lenovo launched Work For Humankind – a bold initiative that allowed volunteers to make a positive, long-lasting difference within an island community, while working from one of the most remote, tech-enabled offices in the world. Now, Work For Humankind is coming to North America.

In addition to the North Carolina activation on the Mountain to Sea Trail, Lenovo is also partnering with non-profit Friends of BirdLife International to create a custom van that acts as a mobile lab and protects wildlife through birdsong collection, in which volunteers will live and work while road tripping through the United States and Canada.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 82,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company by further expanding into key growth areas including server, storage, mobile, solutions and services. This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.