Baptist Invests in Youth with the Best Buy Teen Tech Center

Baptist is a proud sponsor of the recently opened Best Buy Teen Tech Center in South Memphis. Best Buy and The Clubhouse Network partnered with Knowledge Quest to create the 1,207-square-foot center, which is open after school and on Saturdays.

The Best Buy Teen Tech Center, located in the W.W. Herenton Renaissance Center at 990 College Park, is a place where middle and high school students can gather to get hands-on experience in programming, photography, videography, graphic design, music production and recording, filmmaking, and fashion and accessory design.

The center will host monthly maker and creator workshops. Students have access to desktops with the Adobe Creative Suite and software supporting coding and computer programming. It also features a crafts station with screen printing, digital cutting and a sewing machine.

“Knowledge Quest is excited to have Baptist Memorial Health Care join with us on the buildout of our Best Buy Teen Tech Center,” said Marlon Foster, chief executive officer of Knowledge Quest, a nonprofit in South Memphis dedicated to youth and community development.

Leaders from Baptist and Baptist Health Sciences University (BHSU) attended the grand opening ceremony on Jan. 18, including Baptist Memorial Health Care President and CEO Jason Little, Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief Community Relations Officer Dr. Keith Norman, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Ayoka Pond, Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer Tom Barnett, BHSU President Dr. Betty Sue McGarvey and BHSU Associate Professor and Program Chair Dr. Briana Jegier.

Foster presented Little with a plaque commemorating the collaboration between Baptist and Knowledge Quest that helped make the center a reality.

“This investment in youth and their exploration of science and technology careers, including health care fields like informatics, is sure to have a tremendous impact. This collaboration exemplifies the holistic service and generosity of the Baptist corporation far beyond their role as an essential health care provider in our local community,” said Foster.