Amazon announced Thursday, February 2, that it will fund computer science courses in more than 25 schools across Tennessee, including Ripley High School, in its Future Engineer program. RHS will receive funding from Amazon to start offering computer science class which will be taught by Timothy Grapes this Fall.
The program, a $50 million investment in computer science and STEM education, will fund courses in more than 1,000 high schools across the United States, 700 of which are Title I schools.
The funding will provide Intro to Computer Science and Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science courses designed to “inspire, prepare and propel students of all backgrounds to pursue a computer science education and career,” according to a release. Courses will feature “preparatory lessons, tutorials, professional development for teachers, fully sequenced and paced digital curriculum for students and live, online support every day of the week for both teachers and students.”
All students participating in Amazon Future Engineer will receive a free membership to AWS Educate, which will provide them with free access to computing power in the AWS Cloud for coding projects and content to learn about cloud computing.
“We want to ensure that every child, especially those from underprivileged communities, has an opportunity to study computer science,” Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, said in a release. “We are excited more than 1,000 schools will now provide these courses, and look forward to adding 1,000 more schools over the coming months.”
“We could not have taught this course without the support of Amazon,” said Stephen Byrd, principal. “We are thrilled to give our students this opportunity as they prepare to apply to college and build the skills for a rewarding career in technology and innovation.”