It’s no surprise that computer science is one of the fastest-growing professions within the STEM fields today. And, on average, computer science grads have among the highest-paid starting salaries of recent grads and are in the greatest demand. Unfortunately, many elementary, middle, and high schools cannot offer STEM learning opportunities, particularly schools in underserved and underrepresented communities. Amazon is looking to change this. Through Amazon’s Future Engineer program, the company hopes to inspire thousands of students from underrepresented communities to pursue an education and career in various STEM fields.
I wrote about Future Engineer in 2019 when Amazon launched a $50M initiative to increase access to affordable computer science education for children. Amazon believes that STEM education is essential to the work many employees do every day. As a foundation for the future, STEM skill sets are becoming increasingly important across a variety of careers, even in non-STEM occupations. By exposing young minds to STEM education, these programs empower children and teens to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills to prepare for the challenges they will encounter as adults.
“I love being at the intersection of people and technology. I believe that being trained as an engineer is a bedrock for building any type of career. I deal with everything from technical and equipment challenges to employee matters. And, when I hear people tell me I’m not using my ‘engineering degree’ – I laugh because I know I have the experience through my STEM education to address and solve any challenges that may arise.”
Katin Miller, General Manager of an Amazon fulfillment center in Fall River, Massachusetts, about using her MIT degree in engineering
I’m excited to tell you about Future Engineer’s new offerings and explain how you can take advantage of them. These free career exploration activities are open to teachers, after-school programs, community organizations, and students and their families.
Explore the technology that powers Amazon’s Fulfillment Centers.
Take a virtual tour and go behind the scenes to discover how computer science, state-of-the-art engineering, and people work together at Amazon to fulfill an order from online to doorstep. It’s a great interactive learning opportunity for children of all ages! This virtual field trip is set up for educators, but anyone can sign up to participate. Amazon runs tours multiple times per week. Register for a virtual tour.
Set up a virtual career day and bring an industry professional to the classroom.
Teachers can encourage students to pursue a career in STEM by bringing an Amazon professional into the classroom to share their personal career story and describe a day in the life of a STEM professional. These “Class Chats” are free, live, interactive, and available to students of all ages. Book a Class Chat.
I recently participated in a live, virtual tour of Amazon’s Fulfillment Centers, along with a group of students and teachers. We got an insider’s view of how Amazon uses robotics, algorithms, and machine learning to make their huge centers run efficiently and ensure packages are delivered properly to our homes. It was a super interesting webinar and the tour leaders were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and great presenters. I would highly recommend it for students and teachers.
To learn more about Amazon’s Future Engineer Program, go to: https://www.amazonfutureengineer.com/.
