Students can prepare for the new school year by participating in Geek Squad Academy, Best Buy Canada’s educational programs for youth. Any student in Canada can learn and have fun with online courses in a variety of fun and interesting subject areas including website design, photography, animation, and coding. And this summer, Best Buy will host its biggest in person learning event on August 19th: Youth Tech Day at the Toronto Reference Library. Your child can get hands on instruction and have fun with hundreds of other curious students. Pre-registration is required so read on to learn about the event and how to register your child.
Click here to pre-register your child (Note: there are limited spaces available).
What is Geek Squad Academy
For the last 8 years, Best Buy Canada has been proud to offer Geek Squad Academy to students aged 10 to 17. Best Buy partners with schools and not-for-profit organizations to show youth the wonders and opportunities that technology holds—both for their lives today and for their future careers. When attending Geek Squad Academy, students become “Junior Agents” and get hands-on experience with some of the newest and coolest technology. It’s fun and interactive. It’s also a great way for young curious minds to explore a variety of technology topics and possibly stimulate future career interests.
Fun facts about Youth Tech Day
This is Best Buy’s biggest Geek Squad Academy event ever! Here are the specific details that you will want to jot down in your calendar so you don’t forget.
When and where is the event?
August 19th 2023 at the Toronto Reference Library in downtown Toronto.
There will be two sessions for registration (100 spots for youth in each session)
- Session #1: 9:00am to 1:00pm
- Session #2: 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Pre-registration is required for each four-hour camp
How to pre-register for Youth Tech Day
Registering your child is easy. Simply click on the “Pre-register here” link in this article and complete the online form. You will receive confirmation if your registration is successful. NOTE: there are only 200 spots available and we expect that this event will be very popular. Register early for the best chance!
Also, download the Permission and Participant Release Form, print it and fill it in, and hand it in at the event when you arrive with your child.
Who can participate in this event
- This event is open to Canadian youth between the ages of 10 to 16 years old.
- Pre-registration is open, so be sure to sign up!
- If you are unable to secure one of the 200 spots, there will be plenty of drop-in activities so be sure to check out the event!
How much does this event cost
This Geek Squad Academy (GSA) camp is offered to participants free of charge. Best Buy Canada’s priority is to ensure that all youth have equal opportunity of participation (and that includes partnering with local non-profit organizations).
What kind of activities will be included
This Geek Squad Academy camp includes four classes:
- Robotics: Learn the basics of coding, and program a robot to make a letter, shape, and drive through a maze.
- Digital Music: Use a tablet to create your own music by learning to play and record a variety of digital instruments.
- Squishy Circuits: Build an electrical circuit with just a few items—including playdough!
- Game Break with Godot: Learn coding skills to fix a video game … and then play it!
There will also be various interactive drop-in opportunities including product demos, vendor displays, and speakers/panels throughout the day. These will be available to all visitors, including those who haven’t registered for the event. There will also be many amazing prizes given away during the event—Best Buy always has the best tech prizes at their events! Here are some examples of the demos and displays that will be featured during the event.
Content Creation: Featuring cameras, gimbals, and drones. Best Buy will bring in local influencers to do a teach out.
Gaming / Nintendo: Nintendo Switch display and demos featuring educational games and classics such as Mario Kart.
Music: Musical Instruments demos featuring pianos, guitars, and more.
Portable audio: Headphones and speakers demo to help you learn about the latest in audio.
Ultimate Hybrid Setup: Productivity Setup / Gaming Setup display to help you learn what is possible with today’s technology.
Backlight by Smart Lighting: Smart lighting display to show some fun and convenient applications of this new technology.
Microsoft Experience: all students use Microsoft for learning, completing assignments, and for creativity. Visit this display to learn how Microsoft can everyone do better this school year.
Visit the Toronto Reference Library on August 19th
What are you waiting for? Pre-register your child for a summer tech experience they will never forget. As stated above, there are only 200 spots. However, even if you aren’t fortunate to get one of those spots, you and your child can still get a lot out of visiting the Toronto Reference Library anytime, but especially on August 19th with the demos and displays, influencers, and more. You can also enter to win prizes!
CONTEST RULES: Here are the rules and regulations for the contest giveaways that will take place at the event.
Here again is the Pre-registration link (select the “Get Tickets” button on that page to pre-register) and here is the link to the downloadable Permission form you will need to bring with you.
