AWS GetIT

How does AWS GetIT work?

Frequently Asked Questions

• General information

  When does AWS GetIT begin?
  AWS GetIT follows the school academic year in the country where the program runs. The program may be delivered over a three or six-month period. Timelines and milestones respective to each country will be shared by each local collaborating organization on behalf of AWS GetIT.

  Where and in what languages is AWS GetIT offered?
  AWS GetIT is available in Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. At the beginning of the program, educators will gain access to the AWS GetIT curriculum via AWS GetIT’s Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
  

  The program curriculum is available in 14 languages: Arabic, English (US), English (UK), English (Australian), French (France), German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (LATAM), Ukrainian, and Welsh.
  

  How much does AWS GetIT cost?
  The program is fully funded by AWS. There is no cost for schools, educators, or students to participate.

  How does AWS GetIT promote inclusion, diversity, and equity in the program?
  AWS GetIT is committed to building a culture of inclusion through inclusive language throughout program materials, recommendations on how students can ensure equitable collaboration as they design their app ideas, and the program’s ambassadors—who are tech professionals connected to historically underrepresented communities and have an interest in being role models.
  

  What is the difference between the program and competition?
  AWS GetIT includes two components: the program curriculum, which is meant for a classroom environment; and the optional competition that takes place after the curriculum is completed.

  The program curriculum includes 11 hours of classroom content focused on exploring the cloud’s role in everyday life and career opportunities in tech, while teaching students new skills to design an app wireframe that solves problems in their communities. 

  After finishing the program curriculum, schools can submit one app idea created by a student team during the program to be considered for the competition. All schools, educators, and students who participate in the competition must first complete the program portion during the same academic year.

  Who are ambassadors and what is their role?
  AWS GetIT Ambassadors are tech professionals connected to historically underrepresented communities from Amazon or AWS teams. Those who are selected to be ambassadors are passionate about inspiring the future generation of inclusive and diverse tech leaders, and are often members of one of Amazon’s 13 Affinity groups. 

  Each school participating in the program is paired with an AWS GetIT Ambassador. During the program, ambassadors introduce the students to AWS GetIT via a kickoff presentation, and assist student teams during the bootcamp and with their competition submission. Ambassadors also provide ongoing support to ensure educators and students get the most out of their experience.
  

  How can educators expand their cloud knowledge?  
  For educators interested in exploring additional cloud training resources, AWS has a variety of in-person or on-demand cloud training to support educators through their professional development regardless of their experience level:

  • AWS Educate - Hundreds of hours of self-paced training and resources for new-to-cloud learners—including hands-on labs in the AWS Management Console
  • AWS Cloud Quest - Learn AWS Cloud skills through interactive challenges, quizzes, and labs in a free game to help you get practical cloud experience and build in-demand skills
  • AWS Skill Builder - Learning plans and 500+ digital courses to help you own your career and achieve your goals on your schedule
  • Amazon Future Engineer - Computer science teacher training offerings
• Eligibility

  Who can participate in AWS GetIT?
  All 12- to 14-year-old students enrolled at a school or institution where AWS GetIT is offered are eligible to participate. AWS GetIT encourages every school to ensure participation is inclusive and representative of the population at the school, with at least 50% of program participants being girls and other young people from underrepresented communities. AWS GetIT welcomes all individuals to ensure promotion of equitable knowledge sharing of the opportunities in tech, and to challenge existing stereotypes in the tech industry.
  

  Can schools participate in AWS GetIT if they are already enrolled in other Amazon and AWS programs? 
  Yes! Any eligible school may participate in AWS GetIT while also participating in other Amazon or AWS Education Programs. Other programs may include, but are not limited to: AWS Educate, AWS Spark and Amazon Future Engineer.
  

  If we are a Special Educational Needs school, can we still take part in AWS GetIT?
  Yes! The local AWS GetIT collaborating organizations can support your school by making adjustments and providing additional support via telephone calls and video calls during the program.
  

• Program curriculum

  How do educators access content?
  At the beginning of the program, educators will gain access to the AWS GetIT curriculum via AWS GetIT’s Canvas Learning Management System (LMS). Curriculum will be available in 14 languages: English (US), English (UK), English (Australian), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (LATAM), German, Hebrew, Arabic, Italian, French (France), Greek, Welsh, Ukrainian, and Polish.

  How much content is available?
  Educators have access to 11 hours of curriculum content divided into eight main sections, plus two optional supplemental sections. AWS GetIT recommends delivering the content between three to six months during the academic year.
  

  What skills do students learn?
  In the program, students will explore environmental and social issues as they prepare to work in teams to pick an app idea and design an app wireframe that solve problems in their communities. Students will learn and leverage foundational skills, including cloud basics, elements of design thinking, proof of concept, storyboarding, and research methods for idea viability. Students will also build experience working in teams and gain self-confidence, all while being exposed to technology as a potential career.
  

  What opportunities are available to schools, educators, and students after completing AWS GetIT?
  From Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) units and activities for primary and secondary classrooms to self-paced learning content, AWS offers opportunities for students, educators, and schools to explore programs during or after finishing AWS GetIT, like:

  • AWS Educate - Hundreds of hours of self-paced training and resources for new-to-cloud learners—including hands-on labs in the AWS Management Console
  • AWS Spark – ready-to-teach units with hands-on labs designed to fit into existing classroom curriculum
  • Amazon Future Engineer - student access to computer science and career exploration across grade levels, and computer science teacher training offerings
• Competition information

  Are there costs associated with participating in the competition?
  There are no costs associated with teams participating the competition. 

  How many ideas can a school submit for the AWS GetIT Competition?
  Each school can submit one app idea to be considered for the finals of their country’s AWS GetIT Competition. All schools, educators, and students who participate in the competition must first complete the program portion during the same academic year. 
  

  Does my school have to participate in the competition?
  No, this is optional for all schools.