of Future engineers at Amazon (AFE) program was designed in collaboration with education experts to provide Belgian youth with free individual and classroom activities. We understand the transformative power of education and believe in its power to inspire creativity and unlock human potential. Amazon Future Engineer aims to increase access to STEM education for students from underrepresented communities, and already exists in other countries, and since its launch in 2018, has reaches 3.2 million students.
Looking at the technology field from 2019 onwards,[1] The vacancy rate in Belgium’s IT sector has doubled, reaching 9%, the highest in Europe. This is because the demand for IT competencies is rapidly increasing, while gender equality and the number of people with the right skills and qualifications remain low.
“To address the IT talent shortage, computer science has become a compulsory subject in school curricula, and governments have invested heavily in equipping schools. The main issue remains the computer science skills of teachers and students. training,” said Eva Faict, Country Manager, Amazon.com.be. “Together with her Amazon Future Engineer, we want to make a contribution by empowering the next generation, bridging gaps and creating digital technology opportunities here in Belgium.”
The first part of the AFE program is built around finding your future career and computer science education. In Belgium, he is launching a program with two 100% digital resources that are free and accessible to everyone: Citizen Code Python and a virtual tour of one of his robot fulfillment centers.
Citizen Code Coding in Python with Modules and Gamification
citizen code python is a free online educational game that aims to train young people aged 9 to 17 in computer science, giving them open badges to recognize the skills they have acquired. When students complete a series of Citizen Code Python exercises, they receive an open badge as a digital certification.
Citizen Code Python comes in the form of a fun and completely free course. To develop a city, the player must code its elements in her Python (a high-level programming language). For beginners who find it difficult to start programming in Python directly, the program offers the possibility of coding using Blockly. This allows users to learn algorithmic logic. The program is divided into seasons, and in the first season he has six episodes. To progress through the adventure, students must complete the objectives of the first episode before moving on to the next episode. In each major stage, players can change the appearance of their avatar with customization elements and grow their city. At the end of the season, he receives two open badges, proving the acquired skills. One for Python and one for Blockly.
This educational and fun interactive adventure also features modes that allow teachers to get more out of the game in progress. Citizen Code Python’s built-in classroom mode allows teachers to quickly and easily create student accounts by simply selecting a username and password. Students who already have an account can also join a class using a code provided to their teacher through the site. Teachers can assign coding exercises to students, monitor student progress, and guide student learning with new materials.
A virtual trip to an Amazon robot distribution center
The virtual tour of Amazon’s robotic fulfillment centers launched alongside AFE is also part of our commitment to make more young people aware of digital opportunities through remotely accessible content. “We want all young people in Belgium to be able to benefit from our content, regardless of their economic or geographical situation. Similar to Citizen Code Python, we also offer a virtual tour was designed with this in mind, to provide a solution that is completely free and accessible to everyone at any time,” says Eva Faict.
Filmed at our robotic distribution center in France, this virtual tour lasts 50 minutes and takes you through all the logistics stages of preparing an order, from purchase to delivery to the customer. The visit will be punctuated with interactive questions to test participants’ knowledge. You can also get familiar with IT and his STEM professions by listening to the experiences of Amazonians.
This AFE module is designed to give young people a new perspective by not only providing a deeper understanding of the technologies used in logistics, but also by showing them the variety of careers available to them, as well as other content in the program. Created.
This tour is recommended for junior high and high school students, as there is no need to pre-register and anyone can participate. It can be accessed through the AFE program website and is hosted by: Kahoot!an independent gamified learning platform.
Similar to Citizen Code Python, tours of distribution centers can be done individually or as part of a class. To help teachers get the most out of this new module, AFE has provided a teaching guide with information to help guide your class on the tour.
Visit the Amazon Future Engineer website. French and Flemish.
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ei_lmjv_q_r2__custom_8493674/default/table?lang=ja