AUSTIN – March 27, 2025 – As the Greater Austin YMCA continues to invest in the city’s Rundberg community, today it announced the grand opening of a new, state-of-the-art Best Buy Teen Tech Center™, powered by Meta, at the City of Austin/YMCA North Austin Community Recreation Center (aka North Austin YMCA). 

The center is a program of the Best Buy Foundation™ and is designed to support community teens with college and career readiness. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center program, and Austin will be the 5th location to open in Texas.  

The Teen Tech Center occupies nearly 1,500 square feet at the North Austin YMCA and features hands-on experiences that allow local youth to explore interests like photography, augmented and virtual reality, 3D design and more. The center includes several activity stations geared for teens ages 13-18. Young people in the community are welcome to create and learn at the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at no cost. Amenities include: 

• A music studio and adjoining engineer booth, which allows teens to play guitar and drums, alongside access to sound engineering software 
• “Maker Spaces” which include resin crafting, a button station, 3D printing, vinyl heat press, laser engraving and more 
• A podcasting station 
• Photography space with a green screen and both digital and fast-print cameras 
• Virtual reality headsets, which allow teens to exercise, create art and watch movies in 3D 
• Drawing tablets for animation 

“Partnerships are at the core of our YMCA’s work in the North Austin community,” said Kathy Kuras, Greater Austin YMCA President & CEO. “In teaming up with Best Buy and Meta for this amazing technology center, we are able to offer teens who haven’t had access to these types of opportunities and experiences a new way to look at their futures.” 

“We are excited to open this Teen Tech Center in Austin and bring a space to the Rundberg community where young people can explore their interests through the endless possibilities of technology,” said Olivia Jefferson, Vice President, Social Impact at Best Buy. “With the support of partners like the YMCA and Meta, these centers equip the next generation of leaders with the skills and educational resources to prepare them for the tech-reliant careers of the future.”  

“We’re thrilled to deepen our commitment to the Austin community by partnering with the Greater Austin YMCA to help make cutting edge technology accessible with the new Best Buy Teen Tech Center,” said Katie Simmons, Meta’s Director of North American Retail Sales. “Empowering Austin teens with hands-on experience of augmented reality and virtual reality technology will help build the confidence and exploration of these skills for years to come. Austin has been home to some of the greatest American technology advances and we’re excited to help foster future tech leaders right at home.”  

Meta has committed to supporting seven Best Buy Teen Tech Centers across the US and Canada, and the North Austin YMCA Teen Tech Center is the fifth of these locations to be open and serve youth. Their commitment expands beyond these seven locations and includes supporting VR and AR programing across the network, as well as hardware donations to all Teen Tech Centers and Geek Squad Academy. 

To learn more about the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, including registration information, go to https://www.austinymca.org/best-buy-teen-tech-center/.   

About the Greater Austin YMCA  
The Greater Austin YMCA is a dynamic force elevating quality of life in Central Texas by boldly expanding access for all children, adults, families and seniors in our rapidly growing community. Anchored in three counties, the Y serves more than 100,000 people annually through eight centers. We also provide afterschool education and care at more than 60 licensed campuses in four school districts and operate 6 early education centers, highlighted by two new YMCA Tomorrow Academy locations. Globally, the YMCA is one of the oldest and largest youth-serving organizations in the world. For nearly 75 years, the Greater Austin YMCA has evolved to address each community’s greatest needs, touching every phase of life and nurturing happier, healthier people, a stronger community and a better world. More information is available at www.austinymca.org.  

About the Best Buy Foundation™ 

The Best Buy Foundation™ is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports educational and career opportunities for young people through access to the latest technology, mentorship and professional development programs to build confidence and skills for educational and career success.