Community youth can learn how to build robots and friendships this June at the Geek Squad Academy.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 29, at Soule Road Elementary School, Geek Squad Agents from Best Buy will lead team building activities designed to further knowledge in technology and bolster self-confidence in the process.
Topics will include robotics, 3D printing, film production, digital music and more.
The event is co-sponsored by the Liverpool Public Library and Liverpool Central School District and made possible by an educational grant by Best Buy.
There is room for 200 students.
Participants must bring a bag lunch. Registration for Liverpool Central School District residents began Monday, May 1. Everyone else can register Monday, May 8. Registration closes June 1. Register on the Liverpool Public Library Calendar of events or call the Library at 315-457-0310. A signed release form is required. It will be available on the website or at the library.
The school is located at 8338 Soule Road, Liverpool.
“The staff of the Liverpool Public Library is very excited about this collaborative effort with the Liverpool School District and Best Buy Geek Academy,” said LPL Director Glenna Wisniewski. “The academy camp will provide a hands-on opportunity for students to explore and experiment with some of the newest technology. With more tech jobs becoming available in the coming years, this is also a great opportunity for our young people to explore career possibilities in a variety of tech fields.”
The Geek Squad Academy was started in 2007 in the Midwest. The program has spread to more than 100 cities and military bases, benefitting more than 26,000 Junior Agents.
Agent Brandi Jorgensen, who has traveled nationwide for more than five years helping run camps, has a personal connection to GSA and has seen its impact firsthand.
“I had a good upbringing, but not a lot of access to opportunities,” she told the Best Buy website. “It’s very rewarding to give back some of what I’ve learned about technology to teens who’ve never seen it before, or never would’ve been able to learn about it otherwise.”
GSA camps feature unique, hands-on classes that connect teens with tech trends like 3-D design, digital music production, HTML coding and more.
“With some of what we teach, like HTML coding, kids are intimidated at first,” Jorgensen said. “But, through our program, we don’t make it scary. We make it fun. And then before you know it, they’re showing off the new website they made.”
New this year, a BB-8 Robot class helps teens work together to learn to program a robot to complete challenges and solve puzzles. A new pixel art class teaches teens to create original pixel art and animation, beginning with the design of a character.
Participation in the Geek Squad Academy is free.