Amazon giving free access to online computer science courses to students, teachers, parents

Amazon announced it is providing free access to the sponsored computer science courses it offers through its Amazon Future Engineer program, the company announced.

Amazon Future Engineer is for both independent learners, grades 6-12, and teachers who are remotely teaching this age group. Parents also can access this curriculum.

In addition, the company said Amazon Future Engineer also is offering a virtual robotics program through partner CoderZ. The fully sequenced course accommodates age levels from second grade, with block-based coding, to high school, with text-based coding.

Amazon Future Engineer also is providing access to EarSketch, a free program that helps students learn to code through music. Grammy-award winning artists Ciara and Common have both provided studio-quality music that students can remix from home using code.

“We know that, right now, schools in New Jersey are experiencing disruption during this pandemic and we want to help,” the company said in a release. “Year round, Amazon is committed to ensuring more students and teachers get access to a computer science education through its Amazon Future Engineer program, and, now, that mission is more important than ever.”

Go to www.amazonfutureengineer.com/free-courses to sign up for these programs, and to check out more free computer science programming being added by the Amazon Future Engineer team.

Here is a breakdown of the offerings:

All grades

BootUp PD will offer free access to lesson plans and coding resources in the Scratch and ScratchJr applications for students to develop creative coding projects from home.

Additionally, Code.org is hosting new “Code Break” episodes with special celebrity guests every Wednesday to teach students about computer science.

Second grade through high school

Amazon Future Engineer is offering a free online coding course designed to teach students about the fundamentals of coding through coding a virtual robot. The fully sequenced course focuses on block-based coding for younger students and text-based coding for more advanced students. (Available in English and Spanish.)

Middle school and high school

Amazon Future Engineer is providing free access to our sponsored computer science courses, including introductory and Advanced Placement courses. Through this offering, teachers can also access online professional development.

Amazon Future Engineer is also providing access to EarSketch, a free program that helps students learn to code through music. Grammy-award winning artists Ciara and Common have both provided songs that students can remix from home using code. Students can also enter their remixes into weekly challenges managed by partners at Georgia Tech.