CAMP GUIDE
Consider STEM camps for your children this summer
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 childhoodto
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 afterschool
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, 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.
Jennifer Tulipano, a
teacher who is using the course
in her classroom at Monsignor
Scanlan High School in the
Bronx says, “It’s exciting to
see the significant increase in
my students’ creativity, logical
thinking skills and confidence
levels, since learning to code,
and there is no doubt in my
mind that we have paved
the way for them to head
down very successful career
paths in the field of computer
science. I truly believe our
students, particularly our
female students, have been
empowered by the computer
science courses being offered
to us through Amazon
Future Engineer.”
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.
“This scholarship is very
important because it means
when I go to college, I won’t
have to constantly worry about
money,” said scholarship
recipient Leo Jean Baptiste,
from Orange High School in
Orange, New Jersey.
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.
Courtesy BPT
TIMESLEDGER,26 MAY 31-JUNE 6, 2019 QNS.COM
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