The 29 organizations selected are focused on enhancing digital learning for K-12 students who are Black, Indigenous or people of color.
Teens and tech
We love tech, and we’re committed to sharing that love with teens who might otherwise not have access.
We're committed to helping address the opportunity gap, and we know we can't do it alone.
The sale of the teens’ designs benefitted their nonprofits of choice, including organizations committed to social justice and fighting the ongoing effects of COVID-19.
As a founding partner in the Partnership for a ConnectedMN, Best Buy is proud to announce that $2.1 million has been awarded in grants to 23 organizations that provide support to students in urban and rural communities across the state.
ConnectedMN, a public-private partnership announced by Gov. Tim Walz in June, aims to address digital inequities facing Minnesota students by helping meet the technology and connectivity needs of families with school-aged children. This first round of grants will help an estimated 68,000 students by providing access to the computing devices and internet that is essential for distance learning and accessing critical support services.
Just days after George Floyd was senselessly killed in Minneapolis, Elizya Powell and Alexander Cash were making music when they had a realization: They could use their voices in a different way.
So they got up, made signs and started a protest to raise awareness around racial injustice.
They marched through Pittsburgh and handed out water bottles to police. Within a few hours, a crowd of 40 to 50 people had formed.
“We wanted to show how it should be done without it getting violent and send a message at the same time.
Best Buy is teaming up with other prominent Minnesota organizations to help fight the digital divide across the state.
We’re proud to be one of the leaders of the Partnership for a ConnectedMN, a public-private partnership announced by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on June 30. Through avenues like grantmaking, the partnership will support initiatives that help K-12 students from disinvested communities across the state of Minnesota get access to the computing devices and internet access they need to facilitate distance learning and access critical support services.
As students face a summer of being homebound because of COVID-19, they (and their parents) are actively looking for new opportunities to learn, explore and grow.
Best Buy is here to help.
Our Geek Squad Agents have created a suite of free online courses that are designed to ignite kids’ creativity and teach them new tech skills. Inspired by our popular Geek Squad Academy summer camps, the curriculum includes topics such as smartphone photography, binary code and how to build video games and websites.
Best Buy is committed to helping teens from disinvested communities build brighter futures, and that has only become more important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s why we’re continuing to ensure teens and the organizations that serve them have access to the technology, training and mentorship they need to learn and grow. We’re doing that by donating millions of dollars in funding for local nonprofits and providing teens with the tech they need to stay connected during this time.
“Now, more than ever, we’re seeing technology is essential for helping young people learn and stay connected,” said Andrea Wood, Best Buy’s head of social impact.
Teens learn career-readiness skills and then put them to use.
Creativity and technology combine to create pathways to careers.
An introduction to photography led to a college major for one student.