Local teen activists raise money with PopSockets

Activism can be accomplished in many ways and by many different ages of activists. For our younger change-makers, it can be a bit more difficult, but thanks to technology and a local organization, teens are making it happen — with PopSockets.

Through Best Buy Teen Tech Centers local teens have been able to pick what they’d like to support while doing it by expressing themselves. There are four locations around the Twin Cities including ones at the Minneapolis Central Library and Hope Community.

Partnering with PopSockets’ philanthropic program Poptivism, the young activists design their own PopSocket and sell them with part or all of the proceeds going to an organization or charity of their choice.

“PopSockets is all about positive impact, and we are proud to empower teens to design products for the causes they care about,” Jennifer Forman shared, who leads PopSockets’ Poptivism. “Partnering with Best Buy, and their incredible Teen Tech Center program, demonstrates the power of two brands coming together for good and helping kids recognize their own potential to make lasting, positive change.”

Ariana Jones of Minneapolis, who is part of the Teen Tech Center and also frequents Hope Community, picked a design and a cause close to her heart.

“It gives me a lot of pride that I was able to do something like this,” Jones said.

Her originally designed Black Lives Matter and Pride PopSocket has raised more than $1,000, all of which is going to support Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.

“I have friends who are both gay and Black,” Jones said. “They both [have] their own struggle, and I thought that both are really strong for being able to handle both at the same time. I wanted both to get recognition because I couldn’t just choose one.”

Doctors Without Borders, Americare and others are benefiting just from the teens from the Best Buy Teen Tech Center. All together, PopSockets’ Poptivism has raised more than $1 million for organizations around the world.