Best Buy, The Greater LA Education Foundation, Annenberg Tech, and The Clubhouse Network support better futures for teens.

Across the country, many communities lack support and access to the tools and experiences that can unlock a better future and prepare teens for the challenges ahead. Young people of color are disproportionately affected by these disparities. We believe that technology can empower people to dream big and accomplish great things.

Best Buy Teen Tech Centers are places where teens can develop critical skills through hands-on activities exploring their interests through project-based learning. Each location works to bridge the digital divide by giving young people access to tech education and mentor guidance while building the confidence they will need to be successful in school and in their future careers.

In 2012, Best Buy launched a program aimed at building state‐of‐the‐art “Best Buy Teen Tech Centers” in communities across North America. These Teen Tech Centers are free afterschool programs that provide a creative and safe learning environment. To continue the growth of this program, Best Buy has partnered with internationally-acclaimed The Clubhouse Network (TCN), an organization founded in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab. With a solid 28-year record of demonstrated success serving thousands of youth and giving them the confidence and resources to change their lives, TCN has a replicable model for technology learning in community-based organizations around the world. Today, 120 Clubhouses in 21 different countries serve youth, primarily from historically marginalized communities. Winner of the 1997 Peter F. Drucker Award for Non Profit Innovation and the 2019 Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring, the Clubhouse provides not only access but culturally relevant and challenging learning content for youth, coupled with support from caring adult mentors who serve as role models.

In Los Angeles County, Best Buy is additionally partnering with the Greater LA Education Fund and the Annenberg Foundation to create a Community Impact Hub. Centered around a network of 10-12 Teen Tech Centers across LA County, the Community Impact Hub will provide unprecedented tech access, mentorship, skill-building and career opportunity to teens in disinvested communities across Los Angeles County. Underpinned by innovative education and career development opportunities in entrepreneurship and the creative economy, the program will reach at least 3000 teens annually. And, through a coalition of public and private sector partners, we’ll ensure local industry is ready to embrace a new generation of designers, engineers, animators and innovators.

In order to do so, we are seeking to identify non-profit organizations to be our partners in establishing and running each new Teen Tech Center. Our ideal partner is one that has a demonstrated commitment to youth in under‐served communities and a track record serving teens, including libraries, schools, museums and community centers.