AWS Educate collaborates with Project Lead the Way to bring cloud education to K12

Dr. Vince Bertram, president and chief executive officer of Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and Andrew Ko, managing director of global education and workforce for AWS worldwide public sector.

AWS Educate is now a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) transformative partner. As a transformative partner, AWS Educate and PLTW will provide access to cloud computing educational content for K12 students across the United States, including those in low-technology schools.

The collaboration means more K12 students can now access AWS Educate cloud computing curriculum through PLTW’s network of more than 12,200 elementary, middle, and high schools. Cloud technology concepts will be integrated into PLTW courses with the goal of preparing students for additional post-secondary cloud computing studies and careers. PLTW and AWS Educate will collaborate in the development of student activities and map the course to career opportunities.

“To compete in our rapidly evolving world and be positioned for enduring careers, our students must have a learning experience in the classroom that is absolutely relevant to what is happening in the real world,” said Dr. Vince Bertram, president and chief executive officer of PLTW. “PLTW is proud to partner with AWS, one of our nation’s leading technology companies, to provide integrated career learning opportunities for our students and teachers across the nation.”

AWS Educate is Amazon’s global initiative to provide students and educators with the resources needed to accelerate cloud-related learning. With a focus on real-world, applied learning experiences, AWS Educate offers learners access to self-paced content designed to introduce cloud computing technologies driving innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence, voice and facial recognition, gaming, medical advancements, and more. AWS Educate provides access to the AWS Educate Job Board, a feature allowing students to search and apply for thousands of cloud jobs and internship opportunities from Amazon as well as other companies around the world.

“Working with organizations like PLTW enables us to extend the benefits of cloud computing to students across the United States, while creating on-ramps to future careers in the cloud,” said Ken Eisner, director of worldwide education programs at AWS and head of AWS Educate. “The integration of AWS Educate into PLTW’s hands-on courses will help give students opportunities to discover, learn, and apply cloud computing in the classroom. We applaud PLTW for innovating on behalf of their educators and students.”

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a mission-driven organization that is transforming the learning experience for millions of PreK-12 students and thousands of teachers across the U.S. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s teacher training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning. Approximately 12,200 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia offer PLTW programs.

As a part of this collaboration, PLTW teachers and students 14 and older will also receive access to the AWS Educate Portal, and PLTW students will receive the additional benefit of receiving access to the AWS Educate job board when they turn 18 years old.

Andrew Ko, managing director of global education and workforce for AWS worldwide public sector addressed an audience at the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Summit in Anaheim in this month. Thanking educators, administrators, and faculty for their involvement in STEM workforce development, Ko said, “On behalf of AWS, I want to recognize the work you do every day to empower young learners. It’s our privilege to be partnering with all of you to accomplish this mission.”

Learn more about AWS Educate and Project Lead the Way.