Best Buy Canada is introducing its new Teen Tech for Tomorrow program, a social impact initiative designed to provide teens with the latest tech they need to learn through various grants.
The Teen Tech Grants will include grants of up to $10,000 for Canadian public secondary schools to provide educational tech for students from Grades 8 to 12, and for the opportunity to be part of the Best Buy Teen Tech Network.
What is the Teen Tech Network? All Teen Tech Grant recipients will become members of this national community of teens and schools, who can collaborate on projects and compete for ongoing funding, prizes, and technology.
There will also be grants for high-school level robotics teams to purchase materials and equipment to attend a robotics competition in the 2024/25 season. Through a partnership with Alienware, each winning team will receive a $5,000 grant and one Alienware M16 R2 gaming laptop.
Canada’s first Teen Tech Centre is located at a BGC Canada club in Delta, BC. These free, after-school spaces are equipped with professional level technology, giving teens the opportunity to create hands-on projects and learn new skills. There are currently 60 Teen Tech Centres across North America, with plans to reach 100 over the next few years.
“We’ve identified teens as a group that we can significantly impact by creating more access to technology and training,” says Jen Knight, Best Buy Canada’s Social Impact Manager. “Through our new Teen Tech for Tomorrow program, our goal is to provide hands-on technology to youth at a time when they’re considering post-secondary education and future careers. We’re very excited to equip Canadian students with the tech they need to unlock their potential and pursue their dreams.”
Since 2008, Best Buy Canada has given more than $4 million in grants to over 300 Canadian public schools for upgrades to classroom technology.
Applications for Teen Tech Grants and Teen Tech Teams are open now until June 28.