Inspiring children and young adults to try computer science
Math, science, history and ... coding? For today’s
students, learning how to code is becoming
just as important as learning how
to read.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says computer
science is the fastest growing profession within
the science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) field. They also project that, by 2020,
there will be 1.4 million computer science-related
jobs available and only 400,000 computer science
graduates with the skills to apply for those jobs.
Historically, access to computer science education
and skills training has been absent in the
curriculum for many underrepresented and underserved
communities, despite research showing
that exposure to these subjects at a young age
makes students more likely to pursue computer
science in college.
The new childhood-to-career program, Amazon
Future Engineer, is working to change that
in a four-step process to ensure access for all students
and inspire more than 10 million kids to explore
computer science.
K-8
Amazon Future Engineer recognizes that it’s
never too early to introduce computer science to
students and begin fostering an interest in the
field. The program has after-school computer science
workshops, coding camps hosted at schools
and various locations, and online computer science
courses like Coding with Kids and Code.
org’s Hour of Code: Dance Party - all designed to
encourage students to explore computer science.
“Without Amazon Future Engineer funding
this coding camp, my son would not have had such
a wonderful opportunity because I simply could
not afford it,” explained Kelly Garcia, whose son
Pierce attended a Coding with Kids camp in Seattle,
COURIER L 24 IFE, MAY 31–JUNE 6, 2019 PS
Washington.
High school
The vast majority of public elementary and
high schools, particularly in low-income communities,
do not offer computer science classes. Each
year, Amazon Future Engineer provides 2,000
schools across the country (totaling about 100,000
students) with Intro to Computer Science and AP
Computer Science classes through trusted curriculum
providers.
All students participating in this program
also receive a free membership to AWS Educate,
which provides them with free access to computing
power in the AWS Cloud for their coding projects,
and content to learn about cloud computing.
College scholarship
As students head off to college, Amazon Future
Engineer continues to offer new resources to support
their continued education in the field. The
program provides 100 students from underrepresented
and underserved communities committed
to studying computer science in college with a
$40,000 college scholarship - $10,000 per year.
For many students, this financial aid is the
catalyst that allows them to pursue post-secondary
education and a career in computer science.
Internship
Amazon Future Engineer also offers the 100
scholarship recipients a guaranteed, paid summer
internship after their first year of college. Interns
partner closely with a technical mentor and
manager, as well as their fellow interns, to innovate
and create on behalf of Amazon customers.
“As an Amazon Future Engineer intern, I not
only witnessed but was immersed in what it’s
like to be a software development engineer,” explained
Nari Johnson, a sophomore at Harvard
University studying computer science. “I left my
internship feeling more confident in my ability to
transform a vision for a service or product into reality.
As a woman in computer science, Amazon’s
commitment to diversity and early computer science
education has been especially meaningful to
me.”
Students, teachers, school administrators, and
parents can learn more and apply at www.amazonfutureengineer.
com. — BPT
EDUCATION
Did you know 96 percent of teachers say that each
fall, students appear to have forgotten or lost
some of the knowledge or skills they learned
the previous school year?
But don’t worry, the good news is that 89% of parents
plan to continue some form of educational activities
with their children during the summer. Many
of these activities may be things you already do with
your children. And 92 percent of teachers agree that
students will be more successful overall if they keep
learning during the summer months.
What are the most enjoyable and successful ways
to help your children learn while they’re having fun
and enjoying their summer?
Here are fi ve ideas to keep your kids’ minds and
bodies active all summer, so they’ll be eager to pick
up where they left off when the new school year begins.
Plan fun fi eld trips
Take advantage of your community’s attractions,
museums or historical sites that offer wonderful
learning opportunities, as well as being really fun
outings the whole family can enjoy. Find interesting
locations to visit online, involving older children in
the search.
Use trips to the zoo, farm or museum as learning
opportunities by engaging your children in a little
pre-trip research, exploring the background of the
animals, artwork or history of the location beforehand
to get them excited.
Plan what you’ll do when you get there, and follow
up with a related activity after you get home.
Many family-friendly venues offer learning materials
and guides for schools and parents, so call or
check their website ahead of your trip!
Visit your public library
Most libraries offer summer reading programs to
encourage kids to read, as well as fun events for infants
through middle-schoolers. Older students love
choosing their own books and delving into reading
for pleasure that they may not have time for during
the school year.
And all reading helps children develop their vocabulary
and reading comprehension.
Invest in daily learning activities
Help your kids retain skills in math, reading and
language arts, as well as exploring science, social
studies, fi tness and character development with Carson
Dellosa Education’s Summer Bridge Activities
workbooks, available in paperback and as eBooks.
Just 15 minutes a day of fun, age-appropriate activities
and hands-on projects help children review
skills and knowledge learned the previous year.
Then the lessons transition into exploring exciting
new levels of learning to prepare them for the
coming school year. Summer Bridge Activities provide
recommended reading lists, plus handy fl ash
cards that are easy to use, even on the go, that engage
your child at their reading level and build their
self-esteem.
Designed for preschool through eighth grade and
aligned with state standards, these award-winning,
teacher-recommended workbooks include monthly
goal-setting to help children work toward a completion
certifi cate for a sense of accomplishment. Pages
are numbered for each day, making it easy for kids
to complete the activities on their own, with plenty
of time left in the day for play!
Involve the whole family
If one set of skills or area of knowledge you want
your child to develop is not your strong suit, enlist
help from a grandparent or other relative to spark
your child’s interest.
Often learning about hobbies or the career of
someone they know has more impact than just telling
them that math is useful in real life, for example.
Learning how to measure correctly to build a
treehouse with grandpa is a great — and practical —
lesson in using math skills. — BPT
Keep kids learning all summer
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