“Best Buy and The Clubhouse Network support better futures for teens:
Best Buy believes that technology can empower people to dream big and accomplish great things. 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.
In 2012, Best Buy launched a program aimed at building state‐of‐the‐art “Best Buy Teen Tech Centers” in communities throughout the U.S. These Teen Tech Centers are free afterschool programs that provide a creative and safe learning environment. Our Best Buy Teen Tech Centers are a place 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.
To support the development of the Best Buy Teen Tech Centers, Best Buy has partnered with The Clubhouse Network (TCN), an internationally acclaimed program in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab. With a 23-year record of demonstrated success serving thousands of youth and giving them the confidence and resources to lead outstanding lives, TCN has a replicable model for technology learning in community-based organizations around the world. Today, 100 Clubhouses serve youth in 20 different countries. Winner of the 1997 Peter F. Drucker Award for Non Profit Innovation, 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.
Building on the success of the 12 Best Buy Teen Tech Centers thriving today, Best Buy will bring technology centers to 6 new cities in 2017. In order to do so, we are seeking to identify local non-profit organizations to be our partners in establishing and running each center. Our ideal partner is one that has an existing afterschool teen program and a commitment to youth in under‐served communities.”
Excerpted from Best Buy Teen Tech Center Request for Proposals