CALIFORNIA—On Monday, 63 California high school seniors were surprised with STEM grants from the Amazon Future Engineer initiative.
The scholarships, which amount to up to $40,000 over four years, depending on need, will help them pursue degrees in computer science, engineering, or a similar field of study. The scholarship initiative began in 2019. There will be more computer science jobs than class of 2024 graduates to fill them in the United States, according to an Amazon Future Engineer spokesperson.
“In California, there are 37,285 open computing jobs with an average salary of $153,544, yet there are under 9,400 graduates with computer science degrees, and only 45 percent of public high schools currently offer foundational courses,” they said.
Across the Golden State, 63 high school students awarded the 2024 scholarship include:
Since its inception, the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship has committed $54 million in scholarships to 1,350 students from underserved and underrepresented communities. The selected candidates are from the Amazon Future Engineer program, Amazon’s global philanthropic computer science education initiative. The program aims to increase student access to computer science education.
“The program funds high-quality STEM curriculum and educator professional learning to help school districts implement sustainable K–12 computer science initiatives,” according to the Amazon Future Engineer’s website. “As part of this effort, Amazon funds the development of a customized curriculum that accounts for the unique cultural perspectives, interests, and experiences of BLNA students. In addition to the Scholarship program, Amazon Future Engineer offers virtual career tours and project-based learning modules that bring role models to classrooms to help students explore careers of the future through real-world experiences.”
The recipients all plan to pursue higher education degrees in computer science, engineering, or a related field, according to a spokesperson for the group. Applications for the program will reopen in the fall of 2024.
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