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Story summary: In 2023, only 7 percent of refugees had access to higher education — a stark contrast to the 42 percent global average enrollment rate among non-refugees. As social and institutional barriers prevent at-risk young people from continuing their education or gaining employment, the Article 26 Backpack program gives them the space to safely store and share their professional identity. Today, the program has reached over 5,000 student refugees worldwide and is actively expanding its services to connect with even more communities in need.

Last spring, aging equipment was replaced in the Network Operations Center (NOC). Four closet-sized rectifiers and a large transformer (whimsically dubbed "Old Sparky" by the NOC team) were unplugged and unbolted, then carefully scooted out of the building, to make room for new replacements. The changeout was scheduled for the middle of the night during Spring break in case anything went wrong, but happily, everything went according to plan.