Minneapolis, MN—In a world where technology and media continue to be more ingrained in everyday life interactions and career choices, it’s important to prepare student inventors for future career success. That’s where Best Buy’s Teen Tech Centers come in. With existing centers already training kids in Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami and San Antonio, this month Best Buy opened additional centers in Seattle, Washington; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Washington, DC. On October 22, its eighth center will open in Denver, Colorado.
Why is Best Buy pursing this course? A 12-year-old aspiring inventor created a desk fan for his mom with parts from a broken PC and a cardboard box. Adding a single-throw switch and wires for the circuit, the fan came alive. Beaming with pride, the boy started his own fan project with a completed prototype and has plans to design a custom enclosure using a 3D printer and a program called Tinkercad. And he brainstormed and executed his entire fan project within the walls of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center in Minneapolis.
Housing state-of-the-art technology, Best Buy Teen Tech Centers are free after-school programs where teens can play, discover and learn about a variety of topics, including graphic design, digital photography, audio and video production, game and app development, filmmaking and more. Teens can also attend workshops led by Geek Squad agents and other experts in technology, giving teens the opportunity to express themselves in an online global environment. The centers’ goal is to lead the way when it comes to helping teens develop 21st century skills by giving them access to technology in a hands-on environment.
Hubert Joly, Best Buy’s CEO and president, spoke to a packed room of teens and local leaders at the opening of the Teen Tech Center at the Washington, DC, Boys and Girls Club earlier this month. Alongside Joly was Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, who shared his experience growing up in Texas as a member of the Boys and Girls Club. Castro said the partnership between Best Buy and the Boys and Girls Clubs is a great example of what can be accomplished when organizations work together. bestbuy.com
