Best Buy, in partnership with the Annenberg Foundation and Greater LA Education Foundation, has announced a $10 million commitment to establish a network of Teen Tech Centers across the Los Angeles region.

The Community Impact Hub initiative will work to open as many as a dozen such centers in the region by 2023, part of a commitment to build a network of a hundred Best Buy Teen Tech Centers nationwide and reach thirty thousand teens from disinvested communities annually. At the L.A. centers, youth will receive hands-on training in film, digital media, audio engineering, and music production, and will be eligible to apply for internships organized by the Entertainment Industry Foundation and take advantage of mental health and wellness programming provided by the Yetunde Price Resource Center. The company also will increase its support for postsecondary success programming at the centers — including guidance counselors and financial aid navigators — and will partner with community colleges, credential programs, and tech bootcamps to create additional opportunities for teens to explore.

"A lack of opportunity and access prevents millions of young people — especially those from disinvested communities — from reaching their full potential," said Best Buy CEO Corie Barry. "We've seen how one Teen Tech Center in a community can build brighter futures, by partnering with local Los Angeles organizations, we'll be able to support even more youth pursuing their dreams, now and in the future."

(Photo credit: Ale Valeriano)