Hollywood is buzzing about Eva Longoria Bastón’s latest project, a partnership with Best Buy to help get more teens into technology careers.
The Eva Longoria Foundation, which supports education and entrepreneurship for Latinas, announced Thursday that it will co-sponsor a new Best Buy Teen Tech Center in El Paso, Texas. It’s slated to open in late 2019 and will be a free, safe place where young people can creatively engage with the latest technology, including 3D printing, graphic design, film making, music production and virtual reality.
Eva and Best Buy Chief Financial Officer Corie Barry announced the partnership during the foundation’s annual gala Thursday night.
“Many kids don’t have access to a computer, let alone know how to code. Our hope is that the Best Buy Teen Tech Center will help Latinas who don’t see themselves reflected in the media see their own potential,” Eva said.
Best Buy will have more than 60 Teen Tech Centers nationwide in the next two years. They play a key role in our goal to prepare 1 million teens from underserved communities for tech-reliant careers annually by 2020. A recent survey of 234 teens from 11 Teen Tech Center locations affirmed that the sites motivate 80 percent of attendees to continue their education after high school graduation.
“Young people from our underserved communities, and Latinas in particular, often lack access to the technology, training and mentorship they need to compete for the jobs that lead to a brighter future,” Corie said. “But we’re hopeful because we are working to change that.”
Watch the video below to see more from Thursday night’s event.
Learn more about Best Buy’s commitment to youth by clicking here.