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A mouse designed for children with disabilities recently became the lesson of the day for a group of fourth graders spending their Friday lunch break in a classroom at Poplar Tree Elementary School.

Lesley Leisey showed the students a device with a large blue button called a “switch click.” It can make computer use easier for students with limited hand mobility.

“As tech ambassadors, we need to be aware of different software programs that can be used for people who learn differently than us,” Leisey told the group.

The demonstration was part of Poplar Tree’s Tech Squad, a decade-old program that teaches students to use technology and then share what they learn with classmates and teachers.

Fifth grader Veronica Mann said she helps classmates when they have computer trouble that cannot be solved with a simple restart.

The first Tech Squad had about a dozen students who learned tasks such as changing batteries and taking apart hard drives. The program has since expanded to roughly 124 students in fourth through sixth grades.

Students must apply by creating a digital résumé with a tool they learned to use at the Fairfax County school. They then complete an interview before being selected.

Members meet with Leisey and a technology support specialist for 30 minutes once a week during lunch.

Fourth grader Eli Wong said he enjoys learning how computers and other devices work and prefers the club to spending the entire lunch period talking in the cafeteria.

Students work with tools including Canva, Adobe Express, Google Slides and Book Creator. Morgan Mitchell, a fourth grader, learned to add animation to presentations, while fifth grader Joshua Vizcaino learned to produce videos in Canva.

Tech Squad members sometimes take their knowledge beyond the lunch meetings and lead professional development for teachers. One group gave a presentation about keyboard shortcuts, which Leisey said students often use more comfortably than some teachers.

The squad has also created videos this year to help students use their school-issued laptops.

Fourth grader Nathan Fahim put his skills to work when a teacher had trouble with her cords. He helped by unplugging them and reconnecting them.

Teachers value having Tech Squad members in their classrooms because they know those students can be counted on when technical problems arise, Leisey said.