Amazon more than doubling reach of its
childhood-to-career computer science education program – Amazon
Future Engineer – extending program to over 3,000 more schools
Nearly all Amazon Future Engineer schools
include a significant percentage of students from groups currently
underrepresented in computer science, including Black, LatinX, and
Indigenous students
More than 80% of Amazon Future Engineer schools
have Title I designation, indicating a high percentage of students
come from families who need financial assistance; and, hundreds of
schools are in rural communities
Bureau of Labor Statistics projects market for
computer science professionals will grow twice as fast as the rest
of the labor market through 2024
Today, Amazon announced it is expanding its computer science
education program, Amazon Future Engineer, to more than 5,000
schools, benefitting over 550,000 students in need each year. The
expansion more than doubles Amazon Future Engineer’s reach, adding
more than 3,000 new schools across the U.S. Nearly all Amazon
Future Engineer schools serve a student body with a significant
percentage of students from groups currently underrepresented in
computer science and tech, hundreds of schools are rural, and more
than 80% are Title I schools. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon
Future Engineer coursework can be done virtually to help ensure
students stay on track and continue to prepare for the jobs of the
future.
“The start of this new school year is unlike any before, with
students, parents, and teachers adjusting to remote learning,” said
Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer, Amazon. “This is a challenge
for all students, but particularly those from underserved and
underrepresented communities. We are hopeful that our Amazon Future
Engineer coursework, which adapts easily to a virtual setting, will
continue to equip these hard-working students with the skills
they’ll need—and that society will need—for a bright future.”
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics projects that from 2014 to 2024, the market for computer
science professionals will grow twice as fast as the rest of the
labor market and, in 2019, the median annual salary for computer
science occupations was approximately $48,000 greater than the
median wage for all occupations in the U.S. What’s more, while the
number of Black students obtaining STEM degrees has increased over
the last two decades, Black professionals remain underrepresented
within American science and engineering enterprises. The National
Science Board (NSB) estimates that the number of Black
professionals in science and engineering must more than double to
be representative of Black people in the U.S. population in
2030.
“I’m very excited that Amazon Future Engineer is in 14 high
schools and 5 elementary schools in and around my district of
Matteson, IL. By exposing our young people to fun and cutting edge
engineering and computer science, we can spark a lifelong curiosity
and interest in them that opens the door to fulfilling careers,”
said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. “I’m hopeful that programs like
these will lead to a tech workforce that better represents
America.”
"This fall has brought about huge changes in teaching and
learning for all of us,” said Lisa Bagley, Amazon Future Engineer
Teacher of the Year Award Recipient, from West Mesquite High School
in Texas. “My district has returned to school in a virtual setting,
and the flexibility of having our Amazon Future Engineer computer
science curriculum available online anytime, anywhere has given me
much-needed support and consistency in a world of a lot of
unknowns. For my students, it’s especially important that they can
stay on track during this challenging time. It’s becoming more and
more clear that the skills they’re picking up in their computer
science coursework will be critical to whatever career they choose
to pursue.”
Amazon’s funding will support more than 1,000 elementary schools
and more than 4,000 middle and high schools with high-quality
computer science courses, online support, and teacher professional
development. Amazon Future Engineer’s expansion to elementary
schools helps bridge equity skill gaps at a critical age, when
students are just beginning to formulate ideas about their
futures.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon employees are volunteering
virtually in Amazon Future Engineer classrooms, talking to the
students about the importance of their own computer science
education. Amazon Future Engineer also launched the Amazon Cyber
Robotics Challenge – a free, virtual, first of its kind coding
competition that teaches students the basics of computer science in
the context of a real-life industry challenge. Teachers from Title
I schools who complete this competition will also be eligible for
free, expanded virtual robotics lessons to further support their
students while they learn from home.
In addition to supporting computer science education, Amazon is
supporting communities in a range of ways during the COVID-19
pandemic. The company has donated more than 13,000 laptops to
students in need, distributed more than $5 million worth of Amazon
devices to help healthcare workers and nonprofits, delivered more
than 6 million meals across 25 U.S. cities, launched free, virtual
computer science resources for thousands of students, donated more
than $20 million to help accelerate COVID-19 research, donated $10
million in critically needed PPE supplies, and more. To learn more
about what Amazon is doing in response to COVID-19 for communities,
employees, partners, and customers, check out the Amazon Blog: Day
One.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather
than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to
operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews,
1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment
by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets,
Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and
services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit
amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About Amazon Future Engineer
Amazon Future Engineer intends to inspire, educate, and prepare
children and young adults from underrepresented and underserved
communities to pursue computer science. The program is part of
Amazon’s $50 million investment in computer science and STEM
education. In addition, Amazon Future Engineer has donated more
than $20 million to organizations that promote computer science and
STEM education across the country. Each year, Amazon Future
Engineer aims to inspire 550,000 K-12 students across more than
5,000 schools to explore computer science through elementary school
curriculum, middle and high school courses, and teacher
professional development; awards 100 students with four-year
$10,000 scholarships, as well as offers guaranteed and paid Amazon
internships to gain work experience; awards $25,000 Amazon Future
Engineer Teacher of the Year Awards, and forms unique partnerships
with trusted institutions to bring new coding experiences to
students.
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