Best Buy Canada Announces Winners of the 2009 Best In Class Fund Technology
Program

Fifteen schools from across Canada will each be awarded a $20,000 technology grant

BURNABY, BC, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Best Buy Canada today announces a donation of $300,000 to 15 schools and thousands of Canadian students from Best Buy Canada's "Best in Class Fund".

Across the country, students in grades 7 through 12 worked together with teachers to submit proposals demonstrating how incorporating technology into the classroom can greatly benefit student learning. With one proposal permitted per school, more than 80 submissions were received and reviewed by the Best Buy Technology Advisory Board. The top 15 winning submissions each receive a $20,000 Best Buy gift card.

"Best Buy Canada is proud that the Best in Class Fund is bringing much needed technology into classrooms across Canada ," said Jill Sabiston , Vice President Retail Operations , Best Buy Canada . "From introducing technology into the cafeteria to create awareness about nutrition, to using technology to connect with students in schools around the world, there were so many creative submissions this year that really demonstrated how technology can enrich learning."

With so many incredible proposals received, Best Buy wants to make sure that each school that applied receives a contribution towards technology in the classroom and is providing $500 gift cards to every school that participated this year.

The 2009 Best in Class Fund winners are:

    
    -   David Livingstone Elementary School, Vancouver, BC

    -   North Surrey Secondary School, Surrey, BC

    -   Georges Vanier Elementary School, Surrey, BC

    -   Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School, Port Coquitlam, BC

    -   Colonel Irvine Junior High School, Calgary, AB

    -   École Wilfrid Walker School, Regina, SK

    -   École College Park School, Saskatoon, SK

    -   Ralph Brown School, Winnipeg, MB

    -   Charles H Best Middle School, Toronto, ON

    -   Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Toronto, ON

    -   William Lyon MacKenzie Collegiate Institute, Toronto, ON

    -   Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, Hamilton, ON

    -   Eden High School, St. Catharines, ON

    -   Espanola High School, Espanola, ON

    -   Harold T. Barrett Junior High, Beaver Bank, NS
    

According to the Best Buy Canada Report Card on Technology in Canada's Classrooms, released earlier this year, nearly all teachers agree that having the latest technology in the classroom would bridge the divide between students who have technology at home and those who do not. Identifying communities and schools who lack access to technology is the first step to the success of the Best in Class Fund.

The national survey of 674 Canadian teachers, conducted by Leger Marketing, showed that:

    
    -   One-third of teachers surveyed indicated that schools lag behind in
        providing the best access to new technology to students

    -   More than half of the respondents (61 per cent) believe that students
        have the best access to the latest technology at home

    -   Nearly three-quarters of teachers (74 per cent) agree that having the
        latest technology in the classroom would foster creativity

    -   More than half of Canadian teachers use technology as part of their
        daily curriculum

    -   Despite the perceived importance of technology in the classroom, as
        many as one in five Canadian teachers report that they infrequently
        use technology in their classroom
    

The Best in Class Fund is a Best Buy community investment program that was launched in 2008 aimed at inspiring teachers and students to develop compelling educational projects that advance learning through the integration of technology in the classroom. More information about the Best in Class Fund is available at www.bestbuy.ca/bicf.

About Best Buy Canada

Best Buy stores in Canada are a division of Burnaby, BC-based Best Buy Canada Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY). Best Buy is Canada's fastest-growing retailer and e-tailer (www.BestBuy.ca) of consumer electronics, computers and entertainment products and also operates Geek Squad (www.GeekSquad.ca), a technology service provider specializing in computer support, home theatre installation, network, car audio, video and navigation systems. There are more than 60 Best Buy stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Best Buy offers consumers a unique shopping experience with the latest technology and entertainment products, at the right price, with a no-pressure (non-commissioned) sales environment. The Company is committed to kids and its local communities and has a comprehensive community relations program described at www.BestBuy.ca/community.

For further information: Sarah Penz, Best Buy Canada Community and Corporate Giving, [phone], [email protected]