Geek Squad Academy (GSA) is officially turning double digits! Entering its 10th year in 2016, GSA so far has inspired more than 30,000 kids from underserved communities to become the new generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, designers and dreamers.
The 2016 season kicks off on May 2 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will go coast-to-coast with more than 30 camps throughout summer and early fall. GSA works with local nonprofits and other organizations to provide much-needed technology education for students aged 10-18. Each camp will serve at least 100 students, with some camps hosting up to 300. Classes will cover topics such as HTML coding, digital filmmaking, graphic design, digital photography and circuits and logic. Students get to spend two days participating in lectures and hands-on activities around the topics.
GSA is made possible by the contribution of time and resources from Best Buy and Geek Squad employees. Approximately 5,000 Geek Squad Agents and Blue Shirts volunteer each year to help provide tech education to youth through Best Buy’s various community programs, including GSA. That’s a lot of geeks on the ground, spreading the good word of tech!
“We are committed to giving underserved youth hands-on access to the tech education and tools they need to be successful in school and in their future careers,” said Susan Bass Roberts, senior director of Community Relations/Diversity & Inclusion at Best Buy. “Through our vast pool of talented employees and network of stores, we are in a unique position to bridge the digital divide – when and where underserved young people need us most.”
Those who get bitten by the tech bug at GSA can continue their tech-education year-round at Best Buy’s Teen Tech Centers. Developed from the success of GSA, these centers are free, out-of-school programs where teens explore technology to discover new interests, collaborate with one another and develop the skills they’ll need to be successful in a tech-reliant future. Four new locations are opening this year — in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and Oakland — to bring the total number of tech centers to 12.
The Geek Squad Academy dates confirmed so far this season are:
- May 2,3: Atlanta, GA, at McNair Middle School, hosted by McNair M.S./United Way
- May 23,24: Orlando, FL, at Lawton Chiles Elementary, hosted by Lawton Chiles Elementary
- June 8,9: Chicago, IL, at Round Lake District #116, hosted by Round Lake Schools
- June 9,10: Houston, TX, at CE King Middle School, hosted by CE King Middle School
- June 9,10: Charleston, SC, at College of Charleston, hosted by Junior Girls Day Out
- June 14,15: Durant, OK, at Durant High School, hosted by Choctaw Nation
- June 15,16: Kansas City, KS, at Wyandotte County Unit, hosted by Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City
- June 15,16: Cleveland, OH, at East Professional Center, hosted by Cleveland Metro School District
- June 22,23: Minneapolis, MN, at Jordan Middle School, hosted by Jordan Public Schools
- June 22,23: Dallas, TX, at DeSoto High School, hosted by Desoto ISD/GEAR UP
- June 22,23: New Orleans, LA, at Alice Harte Charter School, hosted by Alice Harte Charter School
- June 29,30: San Diego, CA, at Unit Event Center, hosted by Camp Pendleton
- June 29,30: Birmingham, AL, at Huffman High School, hosted by Huffman High School
- July 13,14: Louisville, KY, at Americana Community Center, hosted by Americana Community Center
- July 14,15: Raleigh, NC, at Shaw University Tupper Hall, hosted by Alexander YMCA
- July 20,21: Detroit, MI, at Golightly Education Center, hosted by Golightly
- July 20,21: San Antonio, TX, at Best Buy Teen Tech Center, hosted by Family Service Association
- July 20,21: Philadelphia, PA, at New Foundations High School, hosted by New Foundations Charter School
- July 27,28: Las Vegas, NV, at Valley View Rec Center, hosted by Victory Black Mountain Church
- Aug 3,4: Jersey City, NJ, at Best Buy Teen Tech Center, hosted by Boys & Girls Club Hudson County
- Aug 3,4: Seattle, WA, at Best Buy Teen Tech Center, hosted by Boys & Girls Club at Bellevue
- Aug 3,4: Allentown, PA, at William Allen High School, hosted by Communities in Schools
- Aug 10,11: Hartford, CT, at Asylum Hill Boys & Girls Club, hosted by Boys & Girls Club Hartford
- Aug 10,11: Syracuse, NY, at Onondaga Hill Middle School, hosted by Onondaga Free Library
- Aug 25,26: Oshkosh, WI, at Oshkosh Boys & Girls Club, hosted by Oshkosh Boys & Girls Club
- Aug 30,31: Phoenix, AZ, at Kroc Center, hosted by Salvation Army Kroc Center
For a complete schedule of GSA 2016 dates, locations, enrollment information and more, you can also visit https://academy.geeksquad.com/