AWS Public Sector Blog
Category: Education
Using AWS to help students find an affordable college
Moneythink is an education technology nonprofit providing big solutions to help with college affordability, accessibility, and student loan debt. We built DecidED, a web app that runs on AWS and provides students across the country with guidance and support to understand financial aid options and budgeting for college costs. Our work gives students the cost transparency necessary to make clear decisions about their futures, and is especially beneficial for historically marginalized students, as they often lack resources due to institutionally imposed barriers.
Accelerating new materials design with open data on AWS
The Materials Project at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is an open database that offers information about material properties, or, all the elements and substances that make up the products we use every day. By harnessing the power of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) high-performance scientific computing and state of the art electronic structure methods, the Materials Project provides open web-based access on AWS to computational datasets on both known and potential materials, along with powerful analysis tools to help discover, inspire, and design new materials.
How students help modernize rocket launches at the Western Range with the AWS Cloud
Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), also known as the Western Launch and Test Range, is one of only two U.S. Space Force launch ranges. A safe rocket launch relies on the ability of Western Range meteorologists to gather and analyze weather data in real-time. The Western Range team wanted to switch to an agile, cloud-based solution that would streamline data analysis and keep operators safe—which prompted them to call on students and AWS Cloud experts at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub), powered by AWS, to help VSFB prototype a solution.
Top 7 EdTech trends in 2022: A startup guide for EdTech entrepreneurs
The education technology industry is rapidly evolving. In 2021, education technology companies (EdTechs) had another record year of investments, mergers and acquisitions, and global expansion. To help early stage EdTechs entering the market navigate this unique point in history, AWS released the 2022 EdTech Startup Guide. The guide describes seven key trends in the EdTech market in 2022, along with market and technology recommendations for those who are developing or scaling their EdTech solutions. We’ve summarized these seven key trends for EdTechs in 2022 in this blog post; dive deeper into these trends by downloading the guide.
Downscaled CMIP5, 1950 US Census, and open genomics data for Galaxy: The latest open data on AWS
The AWS Open Data Sponsorship Program makes high-value, cloud-optimized datasets publicly available on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Our full list of publicly available datasets are on the Registry of Open Data on AWS. This quarter, we released 13 new or updated datasets including CMIP5, 1950s US Decennial Census, and open genomics data for Galaxy. Read on for some highlights.
What you missed at the AWS Summit Brussels keynote
On March 31, the AWS Summit Brussels returned to the Egg in Brussels, Belgium, where Max Peterson, vice president of AWS worldwide public sector, and Isabella Groeger-Cechowicz, vice president of AWS worldwide public sector of EMEA sales, took the stage for the event’s keynote. They discussed how AWS is supporting customers with a dedication to data privacy and protection, sustainability, and social impact. Three customer speakers joined them onstage to share stories about how they use the cloud to drive impact for their missions. Read on for what you might have missed at the AWS Summit Brussels.
Predicting global biodiversity patterns in Costa Rica with ecosystem modeling on AWS
As part of the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI), AWS invited Rafael Monge Vargas, director of the National Center of GeoEnvironmental Information (CENIGA) at the Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), to share how his team is helping advance conservation and economic development in Costa Rica and how they utilize ASDI and AWS to support these efforts.
EdTechs support virtual learning with augmented reality and virtual reality on AWS
As educators, students, and parents become more comfortable with virtual learning, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have emerged as engaging tools for teachers to support their curriculum across K12, higher education, and lifelong learning institutions. With AR/VR experiences, students can take field trips across the globe, exercise their cognitive skills, and engage in play-based learning. Learn how four education technology companies (EdTechs) in the AWS EdStart accelerator use AWS to create AR/VR technology that enhances the student experience.
AWS announces Local Zones in Latin America
AWS plans to launch new AWS Local Zones across Latin America to contribute to the region’s economic diversification. The new locations include Bogotá, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru; Queretaro, Mexico; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Santiago, Chile. AWS is helping to develop more resilient economies that promote long-term economic growth. The low-latency offered by Local Zones can make new use cases possible for public sector organizations.
Register now for the in-person AWS Summit in Brussels
The AWS Summit Brussels is back. On Thursday, March 31, 2022, the no cost, in-person learning conference will bring together cloud enthusiasts from the public and private sectors at The Egg in Brussels, Belgium. Join to deepen your cloud knowledge and learn about the power of cloud innovation to transform organizations and businesses around the world.









