Amazon To Fund Computer Science Classes At LA Schools

LOS ANGELES, CA – Amazon will fund computer science courses at Los Angeles County high schools and more than 1,000 other high schools across the country, the company announced Thursday. The Amazon Future Engineer program will reach tens of thousands of students from underprivileged, underrepresented, or underserved communities, the company said.

Amazon’s funding provides full-year courses designed to "inspire, prepare and propel students of all backgrounds to pursue a computer science education and career," the press release said.

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, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Computer science is the fastest-growing profession within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field, but only eight percent of STEM graduates earn a computer science degree, the press release said. Students from underprivileged backgrounds are eight to 10 times more likely to pursue college degrees in computer science if they have taken AP computer science in high school, according to Amazon.

“Tomorrow’s path-breaking engineers and trailblazing computer scientists are sitting in L.A.’s classrooms today. These investments in our schools can help ensure that the next generation of high-tech entrepreneurs and innovators reflect the diverse and dynamic face of our city and our country," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "We can make clear that everyone should have the skills, ability, and opportunity to join the defining industries of the future, regardless of their means, background, or zip code.”

The chosen high schools will offer Intro to Computer Science and AP Computer Science classes through curriculum provider, Edhesive. Amazon’s funding will provide preparatory lessons, tutorials, professional development for teachers, fully sequenced and paced digital curriculum for students and live online support for teachers and students, the press release said. All students participating in this program will 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.

A complete list of LA County High Schools picked for the program are below:

Agoura Hills

• Agoura High

Azusa

• Azusa High School

Compton

• Lifeline Education Charter

Lakewood

• Mayfair High

Long Beach

• Polytechnic High

Los Angeles

• Abraham Lincoln Senior High
• Alexander Hamilton Senior High
• Cathedral High School
• Hollywood Senior High

Montebello

• Montebello High

Pico Rivera

• El Rancho High

Redondo Beach

• Redondo Union High

Santa Clarita

• Golden Valley High

Torrance

• Ambassador High School

West Covina

• South Hills Academy
• South Hills High

Each year the Amazon Future Engineer program provides more than 100,000 young people in more than 2,000 high schools access to Intro or AP Computer Science courses; awards 100 students with four-year $10,000 scholarships, as well as offer guaranteed and paid Amazon internships to gain work experience, according to the press release. Amazon Future Engineer is part of Amazon’s $50 million investment in computer science/STEM education; the program has donated more than $10 million to organizations that promote computer science/STEM education across the country, the company said.

Schools, administrators, and teachers interested in applying to any stage of the Amazon Future Engineer program can apply and learn more here.