One hundred students will be selected to receive $10,000 a year scholarships over four years to study computer science at a college of their choice – students can apply at AmazonFutureEngineer.com.
Amazon Future Engineer scholarship recipients also receive a paid internship offer at Amazon in the summer after their first year of college – Amazon Future Engineer is one of the only computer science programs to offer a scholarship and internship placement to students.
Amazon Future Engineer is a four-part childhood-to-career program intended to inspire, educate, and prepare children and young adults from underrepresented and underserved communities to try computer science.
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it has opened applications for its Amazon Future Engineer scholarship program for students entering college in the fall of 2020. Amazon Future Engineer offers 100 current high school seniors from underserved and underrepresented communities across the country the opportunity to receive $40,000 scholarships to study computer science at a four-year college or university and a guaranteed paid internship offer at Amazon after the completion of their first year. Scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, future goals, and financial need. Students can apply at amazonfutureengineer.com through January 17.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Leo Jean-Baptiste from the first class of Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipients this past year,” said Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer, Amazon. “His story, which continues now at Stanford, has me even more excited for a new group of curious, creative, and hard-working students to apply for this unique and game-changing opportunity.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 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. Computer science is the fastest-growing profession within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field, but only 8% of STEM graduates earn a computer science degree, with a small percentage from underprivileged backgrounds. Students from underprivileged backgrounds are 8 to 10 times more likely to pursue college degrees in computer science if they have taken AP computer science in high school.
“To say that being selected as an Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship recipient changed my life is an understatement,” said Jessica Bradley, 2019 Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship winner and current freshman at Georgia Tech. “To be ensured financial stability during my undergraduate education, to be guaranteed a software engineering internship after my freshman year, and to have the opportunity to study what I am most passionate about are just a few of the things I am grateful for, all thanks to the Amazon Future Engineer program.”
“I was thrilled when my student, Jessica, found out she won the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship,” said Jill Westerlund, teacher at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama. “I always encourage my students to dream big, and pursuing this opportunity with Amazon is about as big as it gets. It’s life-changing.”
The inaugural class of Amazon Future Engineer Scholars includes 100 high school seniors from 32 states across the country. All of the recipients demonstrated financial need and more than half of the students are from an underrepresented group in the computer science field. These 100 students are currently attending some of the top computer science programs in the country.
Current high school seniors are encouraged to apply starting today at amazonfutureengineer.com. All applications are due by January 17. Requirements for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship include: completion of an Advanced Placement Computer Science course in high school, intent to pursue a computer science degree at a four-year college or university, and a teacher recommendation. Other factors considered include: academic performance, demonstrated leadership, community involvement, work experience, a statement of career and educational goals, and financial need.
Launched in November 2018, Amazon Future Engineer is a four-part childhood-to-career program intended to inspire, educate, and prepare children and young adults from underrepresented and underserved communities to pursue careers in the fast-growing field of computer science. Each year, Amazon Future Engineer aims to inspire millions of kids to explore computer science; provides over 100,000 young people in over 2,000 high schools access to Intro or AP Computer Science courses; awards 100 students with four-year $10,000 scholarships, as well as offers guaranteed and paid Amazon internships to gain work experience. Amazon Future Engineer is part of Amazon’s $50 million investment in computer science/STEM education. In addition, Amazon Future Engineer has donated more than $10 million to organizations that promote computer science/STEM education across the country.
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.
About ‘Amazon in the Community’
Amazon is committed to ensuring all children and young adults, especially those from underprivileged, underrepresented, and underserved communities, have the resources and skills they need to build their best future. Amazon focuses on building long-term, innovative, and high impact programs that leverage Amazon’s unique assets and culture. Programs include Amazon Future Engineer, designed to inspire and excite children and young adults from underprivileged and underrepresented communities to pursue an education in computer science, as well as programs that support “Right Now Needs,” fighting childhood hunger, family homelessness, and disaster relief.
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