Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis and Best Buy Open
Best Buy Teen Tech Center in St. Louis
New youth support center is first in St. Louis, 25th nationwide
St. Louis, MO, February 2019 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL), Best Buy, Premium Retail Services, Gateway PGA REACH and Bellerive Country Club celebrated the grand opening of the newest Best Buy Teen Tech Center located at the Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club in St. Louis. The center is the first in St. Louis and the 25th that Best Buy has opened nationwide.
Over 1,100 square feet of space was converted into an interactive and innovative fully equipped space with everything needed to engage youth ages 10-16 with STEAM activities including a music studio, 3D printer, t-shirt press maker, coding stations, state of the art computers, monitors and virtual reality headsets. The Best Buy Teen Tech Center will allow BGCSTL members the opportunity to learn critical tech skills and prepare for the tech-reliant jobs of the future. They will have free access to high-end technology, multi-media production, video, graphic and web design, music production as well as college and career preparation opportunities. BGCSTL President Flint Fowler notes, “It’s a place where kids who aspire to become coders, graphic designers, music producers or directors, 3D animators or game developers can thrive! We are grateful to Best Buy and all of the partners involved with bringing this type technology to our Club teens!”
“It’s crucial for today’s youth to have access to the technology tools and training they need to be prepared for future careers,” said Andrea Wood, Senior Director of Community Relations at Best Buy. “We’re thrilled to work with such great partners to help young people in St. Louis have access to these opportunities.”
“As a proud partner of Best Buy for nearly two decades, Premium has committed to not only supporting this worthwhile cause financially, but also in helping bring our valued partners at PGA Reach and Bellerive Country Club into the mix. Together, we’re delivering an incredible Teen Tech Center for our hometown of St. Louis,” says Kevin Travers, Chief Executive Officer of Premium.
And, longtime BGCSTL Club Partner Gateway PGA Reach says of the project, “The Gateway PGA REACH Foundation is proud to partner with the Best Buy Teen Tech Center to further advance the education of our youth in North St. Louis as a part of our mission to serve our three pillars: Youth, Military and Diversity & Inclusion in the greater St. Louis area. We are committed to funding this project through 2021.”
Best Buy Teen Tech Centers address the nation’s opportunity gap by offering teens free, year-round, hands-on technology access and education in an after-school setting. Over the next decade, 77 percent (1.4 million) of all U.S. jobs will require tech skills, yet only 400,000 people will be trained for these jobs. With community-based job readiness resources on the decline, Best Buy is working with local non-profit partners to provide essential access to technology tools, training and mentorship for low-income youth from underserved communities. Click here for more information.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. For over 50 years, BGCSTL has been providing after-school, teen, sports and summer programs to youth in the St. Louis area while also providing a safe place for them to learn and grow. The Clubs now serve St. Louis youth at ten locations (Adams Park Club, Ferguson Middle School Club, Grannemann Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, Lee Hamilton Elementary School Club, O’Fallon Park Club, Riverview Gardens Club and Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club), within two High Schools (Normandy and Roosevelt High School) and four additional elementary schools through our Mentor St. Louis Program.
About Best Buy Teen Tech Centers
Best Buy Teen Tech Centers are a place where teens can develop critical skills through hands-on activities that explore their interests in programming, virtual reality, music production and robotics. Each center works to address the opportunity gap by giving youth access to tech education opportunities, relationships that help to build confidence, and a foundation for school and career success. A partnership with The Clubhouse Network connects members to a global community of over 100 clubhouses in 20 countries. By 2020, 60 Best Buy Teen Tech Centers across the U.S., Canada and Mexico will enable nearly 20,000 teens annually to experience technology through year-round, after-school programs.
About Premium Retail Services
Headquartered in St. Louis, Premium Retail Services brings new energy to retail. Through retail strategy, merchandising, brand advocacy and support, we create inspired strategies that help retailers and manufacturers surprise consumers, drive brand awareness and spark sales.
About PGA REACH
PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf.
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