Amazon to invest $3 million
over 3 years in programs reaching more than 1 million people - both
students and teachers - from underserved and underrepresented
communities
Signature childhood-to-career program will fund free computer
science lessons, tutorials, online resources and workshops for
students and teachers focused on coding, artificial intelligence,
and machine learning to ensure more students have access to high
quality computer science learning opportunities
New research shows that 63% of Canadian parents of elementary
and high school students agree that their children lack appropriate
computer skills for virtual learning
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2021 /CNW/ - (NASDAQ: AMZN)— Amazon
today announced the Canadian launch of Amazon Future Engineer, a
comprehensive program designed to inspire, educate, and prepare
children and young adults from underrepresented and underserved
communities to pursue computer science. As part of Amazon's
commitment to strengthening the communities it is proud to call
home, the company will invest $3
million (CAD) over three years to fund unique computer
science learning opportunities for an anticipated 1 million
students and teachers across the country.
"At Amazon, we are committed to helping more children and young
adults, especially those from underrepresented and underserved
communities," said Susan Ibach, Head
of Amazon Future Engineer Canada. "Amazon Future Engineer is
dedicated to helping students develop their computer science skills
throughout their educational journeys, from kindergarten to high
school, while also funding in-demand professional development
opportunities for teachers. Virtual learning has underscored the
need for more students to have a strong computer science
foundation, and we look forward to creating new opportunities to
make that a reality."
New data from research firm Maru/Blue shows that 63% of Canadian
parents of elementary and high school students agree that children
did not have the computer skills to succeed at virtual learning*.
Computer science and STEM education will be increasingly important
for future career prospects both in the technology sector and
beyond: according to the Information and Communications Technology
Council, the Canadian digital economy will have demand for
147,000 additional workers by 2022. However, not all Canadians face
equal odds: according to the TD Economics Women and STEM report,
women earn only 1 in 5 engineering and 1 in 4 computer science
undergraduate degrees. The ICTC Digital Talent Dividend
Report shows that only 0.3% of information and communications
technology roles in Canada are
held by Indigenous peoples.
To reach students of all ages across Canada, Amazon Future Engineer is partnering
with leading Canadian charities dedicated to computer science and
STEM education, including Canada Learning Code, Kids Code Jeunesse
and TakingITGlobal. Amazon will fund their curated lesson plans,
tutorials, online resources and workshops designed to inspire
students from all backgrounds to pursue computer science.
For elementary school students and teachers, Amazon Future
Engineer will fund free, in-class workshops organized by Canada
Learning Code. Lesson plans will focus on basic coding skills,
including algorithms, sequences and debugging. Amazon Future
Engineer already provides a variety of free, online educational
activities open to all elementary school students, including
interactive coding tutorials like the Cyber Robotics Challenge and
the Hour of Code: Dance Party.
Middle and high school students and teachers will have access to
workshops and materials that focus on artificial intelligence (AI),
machine learning, and ethics, delivered in partnership with Kids
Code Jeunesse. This curriculum will guide students through the
application of current AI technology, the framework for ethical AI,
and the effect of AI systems on future careers and the work
environment. These will encourage young people to think about the
intersection between their digital lives and in-person
experiences.
In addition, working with TakingITGlobal's Connected North
Program, Amazon will fund computer science workshops for teachers
working across the program's network of 100 schools in remote
Indigenous communities, and support the charity's self-serve
platform for teachers to access training and lesson plans. Amazon
will also support TakingITGlobal's development of an online course
and community for Canadian educators using the AP Computer Science
principles curriculum. TakingITGlobal will also deliver the Your
Voice is Power program in Canada, which features a
competition for students to remix Pharrell's new song
"Entrepreneur" using computer code on the
learn-to-code-through-music platform, EarSketch.
"I'm excited for the official Canadian launch of Amazon Future
Engineer and the continued commitment to computer science education
in Canada. Amazon has supported Canada Learning Code in many
ways over the years, from enabling projects to ensure we're
delivering experiences to those who need them most, to providing
hundreds of volunteer hours, to working with us to navigate the
shift from in-person learning experiences to virtual due to
COVID-19. We are thrilled to have Amazon Future Engineer's
partnership for our Teachers Learning Code program and with their
support, we'll continue to build out relevant and necessary tools
and resources for educators across Canada," said Melissa
Sariffodeen, CEO and co-founder of Canada Learning Code.
"The next decade is a critical one for our planet and our
people, and we will only be able to build a fair and just future if
we equip the next generation with the skills they need to thrive in
a digital world. With Amazon Future Engineer's support, we will be
engaging students not just to think about how AI works - but how
decisions are made, and how technology can help solve real-world
problems," said Kate Arthur, CEO and
Founder, Kids Code Jeunesse.
"TakingITGlobal is thrilled to collaborate with Amazon to
strengthen educators' access to professional learning so they can
bring computer science to life for students of all ages in the
remote communities we serve," says Michael
Furdyk, Co-founder and Director of Innovation at
TakingITGlobal. "We're particularly excited to bring the Your Voice
is Power program to Canada,
leveraging music as a pathway to engage students in coding."
Schools, administrators, and teachers interested in
participating in Amazon Future Engineer can learn more by
visiting AmazonFutureEngineer.ca.
|
*Survey methodology:
From January 18th to January 19th 2021 an
online survey of 1,516 randomly selected Canadian adults (of
whom 243 are parents of children in elementary school or high
school) who are Maru Voice Canada panelists was executed by
Maru/Blue. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this
size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling
variability) of +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The results
have been weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in
Quebec, language) to match the population, according to Census
data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire
adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are
due to rounding.
|
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.
SOURCE Amazon Canada