"We know the past two years have been challenging for educators and students alike, and we have seen first-hand how important technology can be for schools," says Karen Arsenault, Best Buy Canada's Social Impact Manager. "The applications we received emphasized the significant role technology plays in engaging students and setting a strong foundation for their future. We're proud to support educators in opening doors for their students".
"In today's continually evolving learning landscape, technology is critical to helping students connect, collaborate and thrive with their peers and educators," said Jennifer Groh, Senior Director of Corporate Marketing and Citizenship, Samsung Canada. "We are pleased to continue our partnership with Best Buy Canada and provide students and teachers with innovative technology that will enhance their programs and boost students' interest in STEM learning."
Best Buy Canada focuses its social impact efforts on building brighter futures through technology. Since 2008, Best Buy Canada has provided more than $3.4 million to 274 Canadian schools to purchase technology that inspires, motivates, and empowers students. Best Buy Canada is also proud to offer post-secondary scholarships and support youth with hands-on tech learning opportunities.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY), Best Buy Canada Ltd. is one of Canada's largest and most successful omni-channel retailers, operating the Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile and Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca) brands. With more than 170 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores across Canada and an expanded assortment of lifestyle products offered through BestBuy.ca, Best Buy is a leader in Total Retail, catering to customers how, when and where they want to shop. Best Buy Canada is committed to making a positive impact in the community with programs and partnerships that support youth to connect with technology to advance their education. For more information, visit BestBuy.ca.
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a global technology leader, Google's innovations in web search and advertising have made its website a top internet property and its brand one of the most recognized in the world. Google Canada has offices in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa with over 2,000 Canadian Google employees working on teams across Engineering, AI Research, Sales and Marketing.
Best Buy, the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation (GLA) and the Annenberg Foundation have announced the creation of three new centers for the LA Community Impact Hub, which provides access to technology and resources for local youth.
The coalition of organizations committed last year to a goal of creating up to 12 community tech centers for Los Angeles teens. After the initial announcement of an inaugural trio, this news brings their total to six. Existing community locations that have received the grant are expected to open in 2023.
The Best Buy Teen Tech Center locations are after-school locales designed to offer students education and the opportunity to learn about new technologies. The new spaces unveiled as grant recipients are the Watts Labor Community Action Committee, the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA, and the Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club.
The Best Buy Teen Tech Center is an interest-based learning environment for teens to experiment and master various new technologies with help from their peers and adult mentors. They can then share their work with other teens across the globe through The Clubhouse Network.
The past two years have demonstrated firsthand just how important technology is for schools. Unfortunately, not all schools, teachers and students have access to the necessary equipment they need. With these grants, students will have access to more engaging and advanced technology to motivate them to learn and to set them up for success in their future educational endeavors.
The Best Buy Foundation and the Joly Family Foundation committed to opening five Best Buy Teen Tech Centers in public libraries, with one opening this spring at the Grand Concourse Library in the Bronx and expanding to four more sites in the next couple of years. Their initial commitment will be upwards of $3 million through 2025, and will be funded by grants, technology donations, and innovative partnerships that provide career and post-secondary opportunities to teen participants. Best Buy Teen Tech Centers aim to advance tech equity for young people in underserved communities, connecting them with mentorship, training opportunities, and post-secondary and career resources to ensure they thrive in the future. The new sites join a location at Kings Highway Library in Brooklyn that opened in 2019.
As CEO of Best Buy, Hubert Joly, founder of the Joly Family Foundation, oversaw the creation of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center program. There are now over 50 Teen Tech Centers nationwide, with a goal to open 100 by 2025 to reach tens of thousands of teens from disinvested communities across the country. Each Best Buy Teen Tech Center provides access to a variety of resources, such as access to cutting-edge technology, including tools for film production, augmented and virtual reality, digital media, 3-D design, and audio engineering.
Best Buy is committed to helping teens from underserved communities become equipped for tech-reliant jobs of the future. Through their community grant program, Best Buy partners with institutions like DMII to provide hands-on learning opportunities for underserved teens across the country. DMII summer camp programming will focus on introducing teens to the fast-growing digital media industry with opportunities to develop and learn new skills.
You can apply for a Cost of Attendance Adjustment through the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office to purchase a computer once every three years. This may come as a grant, but often comes in the form of a loan.
Boys & Girls Club of Van Buren is one of only six recipients across the country to receive this grant, which will be used to fund a teen-driven innovation project using technology to enhance teen programs in the areas of mobile technologies, social networking and/or media safety.
The annual grant, which is put out by Best Buy to all schools in Canada, awards nine schools with $10,000 to be used to enhance technology to improve opportunities for students. This year, there were 276 applicants.
The grant has provided the school with high capacity computers, a colour printer and a GoPro camera. The students and staff at North Cottage hope to use these new tools to help the students build portfolios for post-secondary applications and compete at the Skills Canada Regional and Provincial Competitions.
The Chromebooks will be available for use to students headed for the college route as well, and will help provide increased technical capabilities for any students in science and math classes at the school.
Available for schools looking to add technology to programs with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) to enhance offerings such as robotics clubs, math programs, coding, maker spaces and digital media courses. Funds can be utilized at Best Buy or outside vendors (like TeacherGeek!)
The Best Buy grant is awarded on an annual basis to encourage organizations to steer youths towards a STEM education. Best Buy provides the grant to multiple organizations throughout the Louisville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis area to multiple organizations throughout the years. This year, YTF was the only to receive the grant from around 60 other organizations that applied.
Through the grant, YTF will be able to purchase technological equipment, software, and general programming related expenses for 3D Printing Academy for Girls. The appropriate use of technology allows youths to have the latest and greatest, and reach that untapped potential.
Best Buy aims to have built 100 Teen Tech Centers by the year 2025. Teen Tech Centers are safe, after-school learning environments that are equipped with the latest technology. These centers allow teens to develop skills such as computer programming, design, filmmaking, and other training that can prepare them for the future. There are currently 51 Teen Tech Center locations in 28 states.
The Geek Squad Academy from Best Buy allows students to explore technology through coding, game design, photography, 3D design, and more. Schools, non-profits, and community organizations can apply to host Geek Squad Academy Camps during school breaks or as in-school field trips for youth ages 10 to 18.
The Martin Luther King Community Center is a profoundly important community resource in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood. Through a grant from Best Buy and local support, the MLK Center was able to make a considerable investment in access to technology for teens in Indianapolis. In order to help this project come to fruition, Schmidt Associates was hired to take the dream and translate it into a built reality. This Teen Tech Center gives teens a safe place to go to learn, grow, create, and prepare for their futures.
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