Best Buy Canada community program expands to include Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

Grants awarded to 13 Canadian elementary schools

Announcement Highlights:

• New for 2015, Tech Lab grants offered in two categories: as 'General Tech Lab Grants' for improving literacy programs, libraries, and special needs classrooms, and as 'STEM Tech Lab Grants' for programs focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
• Future Shop's Tech Lab program returns for second year at the elementary school level, awarding cash grants to 13 schools totaling $172,000
• Recipients will use grants awarded to enhance or integrate technology into classrooms

BURNABY, BC, Feb. 11, 2015 /CNW/ - After fielding a record number of applications for its Future Shop Tech Lab grant program, Best Buy Canada is pleased to announce the 13 elementary schools who will receive grants for new technology.

Marking a change for this year's program, grants were offered in two categories:

• General Tech Lab grants to improve or integrate technology in classrooms to advance student learning;
• STEM Tech Lab grants for schools looking to enhance technology in programs pertaining to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

"Our community investment programs at Best Buy Canada have always focused on empowering youth with technology and we're proud to move towards focussing our efforts in the area of STEM," said Andrea Farnell, Community Relations Manager, Best Buy Canada. "With these grants, we're helping schools invest in devices like computers, tablets and robotics kits to get students excited about technology and inspire them for the future."

The 13 schools receiving a Future Shop Tech Lab grant are:

STEM grants:

• Strawberry Hill Elementary School – Surrey, BC
• Nose Creek Elementary School – Airdrie, AB
• St. Augustine School – Brandon, MB
• Sir John Moore Community School – Corunna, ON
• Tecumseh Public School – Chatham-Kent, ON
• École Edward Johnson Public School – Guelph, ON
• École Charles-Lemoyne – Montréal, QC
• École Primaire Carillon – Longueuil, QC
• George Street Middle School – Fredericton, NB

General grants:

• Lord Elgin Public School – London, ON
• Winchester Public School – Toronto, ON
• École Coeur-Vaillant – Québec, QC
• Thorburn Consolidated School – Thorburn, NS

The Tech Lab grant program exists to equip Canadian students with the right technology to keep them inspired, motivated and empowered as they learn and grow. The shift towards to supporting STEM at Best Buy Canada is driven by a fundamental belief that more emphasis needs to be placed on supporting students to think about STEM as an education path and future career. With 70 per cent of Canada's top jobs requiring STEM education and four in five STEM college students making the decision to study STEM in high school or earlier, programs like Tech Lab grants are excellent avenues to support schools and students in this arena.

More than 4,000 students are set to benefit from the influx of technology these grants will bring into their schools. Sharing in their excitement is an eager group of educators.

"We're overjoyed to see an emphasis being placed on supporting STEM-based learning," said Principal David Marquis of École Edward Johnson Public School, in Guelph, ON. "I'm proud to see the importance of technology in schools be reinforced through this program, and can't wait to share the news with our staff and students."

Since 2008, the Future Shop Tech Lab grant program has awarded more than $2 million to 87 schools nationwide. For more information on the grant program, visit www.futureshop.ca/techlab.  

About Best Buy Canada Community Investment
Best Buy Canada's community investment strives to connect youth with technology to inspire, motivate and empower their education through programs such as Future Shop's Tech Lab grants, Boys and Girls Clubs Scholarships and numerous other donations and partnerships. At the local level, Best Buy and Future Shop store teams, along with Geek Squad agents, partner with various schools and youth organizations to provide kids with access to technology to enhance their learning.

SOURCE Future Shop