Amazon brings global computer science education initiative to India; aims to train 1 lakh school students

E-commerce giant Amazon has brought its global computer science education initiative, Future Engineer, to India with an aim to offer computer science education to one lakh students from 900 government and aided schools across seven states in India.

The global program aims to enable access to quality computer science education and career opportunities for students from under-represented and under-served communities through in-person, online and blended learning formats.

Amazon is working with its global knowledge partner Code.org, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to computer science education, to offer mobile interactive computer science content to Indian students.

The company said the curriculum is contextualised for the Indian teacher and student community in government school settings. The program will offer students coding fundamentals along with future-focused tech courses like artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing in Indian languages.

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"The program will be driven on a 3-step model that aims to help students to explore, learn and build successful careers in the field of computer science. Under the 'Explore' umbrella, AFE (Amazon Future Engineer) will expose students to the world of computer science through interactive and engaging activities," Amit Agarwal, Global Senior VP and Country Head, Amazon India, said at a virtual launch event.

"We will bring Amazonians to classes of government schools, where they will inspire students with their journey and excite students about the various careers that exist in tech industry. We will also bring virtual computer science exploration offerings like Cyber Robotics Challenge and Hour of Code to these classrooms," he added.

The program will primarily focus on students in grades 6-12, and will also train teachers and educators. Initiatives will include 'class chats' through which students meet Amazonians to understand tech industry careers, and 'Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge' where students learn programming basics while coding robots and discover how the company uses robotics to deliver products.

The retail giant will partner with multiple education-focused non-profit organisations to take the program to student in states like Karnataka, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Telangana.

The company said it will scale the program across the country in coming years besides amplifying its support to students through scholarships, internships, problem-solving hackathon events, and targeted mentorship programs by Amazon executives.

Agarwal said the program has enabled computer science opportunities for more than a million young people across US, UK, Canada and France.

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