Amazon and Seattle Public Schools Team Up to Bring Computer Science and Robotics to 30 Title I Schools

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Seattle Public Schools today announced a new partnership to bring computer science and robotics to up to 30 Title 1 Seattle Public Schools as part of the Amazon Future Engineer program. Amazon is providing each of the schools with an Amazon Future Engineer Robotics grant to inspire the next generation of computer scientists, with a focus on students from underrepresented and underserved communities. Each of the schools will receive support to launch FIRST robotics teams, including teacher professional development to learn about robotics, support from Amazon to expand access to computer science education in their school, and a private tour of an Amazon robotics fulfillment center in Kent, Washington.

The mission of FIRST, curriculum provider for Amazon Future Engineer Robotics grants, is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills to students in grades K-12. Data from a 5-year longitudinal study of FIRST by Brandeis University shows competitive FIRST robotics programs works for all youth. Across all demographic groups (gender, race, economic status and geography), FIRST students show significant gains in STEM knowledge, STEM interest, STEM career interest, STEM identity, and STEM activity compared to their peers who don’t participate. FIRST students are more likely to major in tech-focused science fields in college; by their second year of college, over 50 percent declare majors in engineering or technology. The impact on young women in FIRST is particularly profound. By their first year of college, female alumnae of FIRST are 3.6 times more likely to take an engineering course, and 1.9 times more likely to take a computer science course than female comparison students.

Seattle Public Schools is committed to creating opportunities for students who have historically been the furthest from educational justice; these students have also been underrepresented in STEM careers. They recognize the positive impact the partnership will have on educators, teachers and coaches to learn new skills and new ways of applying standards-based teaching in a new environment.

“This partnership with Amazon will give our students of color the opportunity to see engineers who look like them – which provides a huge benefit and creates a quicker course to students imagining a future in a STEM field,” said Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau. “Creating educational journeys like these help ensure our students are prepared for college, career, and life.”