New Interactive Learning Space for Teens to Develop Technology Based Projects from Robot Constructions to Animated Film Productions
Brooklyn, NY—Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)will be the site of a new Best Buy Teen Tech Center, the first in New York City. The new center will be located at King’s Highway Library in southern Brooklyn. The branch is the second busiest among BPL’s 59 branches.
“We are honored to have been selected as the site of the first Best Buy Teen Tech Center in New York City,” said Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson. “The innovative space will allow teens to explore music production, animation, programming, robotics, and more—and gain invaluable skills and confidence along the way.”
Best Buy Teen Tech Centers bridge the digital divide by helping teens develop critical skills through hands-on activities. Teens will develop projects such as: creating art, producing music and animations; designing science simulations and mobile applications; writing and illustrating interactive poetry, stories and films; building kinetic sculptures and robotic constructions; and designing their own 3D worlds and games.
The new center, comprised of 1460 square feet, will be on the second floor of Kings Highway Library where many youth programs take place. It will include workstations, meeting spaces, technical equipment and a music studio.
BPL has a long-standing commitment to providing technology training for learners of all ages including teens and young adults as they prepare to enter the workforce. The Best Buy Teen Tech Center will enhance and complement programs like the Brooklyn Robotics League, Teen Youth Councils, and the T4 program which has provided 1600 teens with training, volunteer and internship experiences in information technology.
The Best Buy Foundation and ERI will provide grant funding for the Teen Tech Center to bring new opportunities for creative youth experiences and expression, and technology product donations to power education and discovery.
“We’re very excited to partner with ERI and The Brooklyn Public Library to provide local young people with the resources they need to further their education and prepare for tech-reliant careers,” said Andrea Wood, Director of Community Relations at Best Buy. “This new BestBuy Teen Tech Center joins a growing national network of locally-based facilities that will serve one million youth annually by 2020.”
Best Buy partner, ERI, is the leading recycler of e-waste in the United States.
“With an eye toward the future, tech education, digital security, green jobs and sustainability as a whole, we at ERI are proud to be partnering with Best Buy, the Clubhouse Network and the Brooklyn Public Library for this Teen Tech Center project,” said John Shegerian, ERI’s Co-founder and Executive Chairman. “ERI has a long history of successful innovation in the region, including partnering with the City of New York to create the groundbreaking ecycleNYC program, which now provides residential e-waste recycling services to millions of New Yorkers. We’re excited to continue to be a part of the great City of New York’s role as a leader in these areas and to provide support for this important, forward-looking project.”
New York State Senator Simcha Felder also provided $55,000 in funding for the branch that will complement the project. “Throughout my career in government, I have always believed in the importance of investing in our local public libraries. That is why I was proud to have been able to secure technology funding from the New York State Senate for the Kings Highway branch in my district and why I am so pleased that Best Buy is now stepping up with their own private investment in the branch as well,” Senator Felder said.
In addition, Best Buy’s partnership with The Clubhouse Network will give participants access to a global community of teens in over 100 clubhouses in 20 countries.
“The Clubhouse Network is thrilled to be partnering with the Brooklyn Public Library to bring a Teen Tech Center to the Kings Highway Library,” said Gail Breslow, Executive Director of The Clubhouse Network. “Between the rich assets of the community and the commitment of the entire BPL team to bringing this innovative program to life, I’m confident it will be benefit the youth of Brooklyn for years to come.”
Support for the Best Buy Teen Tech Center is also provided by the Estate of Earle Muroff (Richard Klass esq., executor).
The new center is scheduled to open in late 2018.