Programs

AI Education: An Economic Imperative

Introductory Programs for Women & BIPOC Youth (ages 16-24+)

AWS Global AI Challenge

Our free annual event, The AWS Global AI Challenge, launched in 2019, has the potential to reach millions of women, marginalized higher ed students and entrepreneurs through our education, government and corporate partners. It is our goal to provide beginner-level builders with free cloud education, live mentoring/coaching and access to scholarships, apprenticeships, job opportunities, startup accelerators, funding and more.

2021 OBJECTIVES

2021 virtual participants include: more than 70% from Nigeria, then USA, India, Kenya, Brazil and Mexico.

In rapid response to COVID-19, fuel progress in the area of economic opportunity and cloud education for global women and underrepresented youth, leveraging AWS.
Explore how companies and governments can collaborate with educators to prepare students for the #FutureOfWork and #Entrepreneurship.
Increase youth civic participation and advance more inclusive education and economic policies for women and underrepresented youth.
Help women, underrepresented youth and entrepreneurs find career training, mentorship, leadership development, networking opportunities, employment and funding in a tech industry that is predominantly male and white.
Use AI/ML as a meaningful tool for improving people’s lives and solving some of society’s biggest challenges – addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

2019 SOCIAL IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS

14 Partners/Sponsors: Amazon Web Services (AWS), WomenofAI.org, Netflix, ThingLogix, AAUW, Women Who Code, Girls in Tech, LatinaGeeks, We Tha Plug, SaaSMAX Corp, gNIS, WeConnectTheDots, TechSavvyWomen, and RaneMaker Institute.
Students registered: 61; 51% male/49% female, ages ranging from ~20 – 34
27 colleges and universities
Geography: Southern California and Mexico — we are making a cross-border impact
Education level: High school grads, Associates and Baccalaureate degrees
AWS experience level: 96% Beginner/4% Intermediate
Mentors, Judges, Volunteers: 22 (local IT and tech professionals)
Keynote/Panel Speakers: 8 leaders in tech: Erica Lee (Founder, WomenOfAI.org), JJ Digeronimo (President, TechSavvyWomen), Bridget Kimball ( Athena Board Member, VP and Chief Architect, Intuit Consumer Group), Shannon Maas (Senior Software Engineer at Netflix), Feyzi Fatehi (Chairman and CEO of Corent Technology), Luis Martinez, (MSOL, Director Startup Grind San Diego) Vanessa Miranda (VP LatinaGeeks San Diego, VP Girls in Tech San Diego), Franky Fuentes, Ph.D. (Data Driven Diversity & Inclusion Scholar) Christiana Russell (Panel Moderator, M.Ed, Founding Member at San Diego Tech Hub)
Panel Topics: 1) How we can close the gender and racial gap in tech with the support of education policy; 2) What tech companies can do to move the needle on equity, diversity, and inclusion
Trainers: 2 technology professionals: Sam Rastovich ( ThingLogix, AWS Public Sector Partner) and Franky Fuentes, Ph.D. (Data Driven Diversity & Inclusion Scholar)
Training Sessions: 1) Intro to AWS 2) Build your Sumerian scene + integrate Lex
Teams of 4-5 participants: worked together to create a conversational, intelligent chatbot using Amazon Sumerian to address a business challenge. Teams presented their #innovative solutions to judges and best chatbots were awarded cool prizes!

Global Innovation Summit (Virtual, 2-Day)

2021 OBJECTIVES

The Global Innovation Summit is our 2-Day AWS AI Challenge “Finale Event” which showcases youth technology solutions to global problems, leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS). Forty-five women, marginalized college/university students and entrepreneurs from 6 countries (over 70% participants from Nigeria, then USA, India, Kenya, Brazil and Mexico) will have completed the 5-week AI primer, formed teams and built Alexa Skills to address one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

2 KEYNOTES | 3 ROUNDTABLES | 17 LEADERS FROM THE U.S. AND ACROSS THE GLOBE

DAY 1 – GLOBAL DIALOGUE: Bold Leadership for a Better Future Business leaders, educators, nonprofits and civic leaders from the US and across the globe will be invited to discuss the most pressing political, economic, environmental and human rights issues facing this generation today. Specifically, what are the workforce strategies, policies and initiatives needed to accelerate the adoption of digital learning and innovation. In the face of the global COVID crises, how do we build back better with sustainable growth, and a more equitable, just, inclusive society, by leveraging untapped human capital and technology.

1 KEYNOTE | 9 TEAM FAST-PITCH DEMOS | 7 TECH ALL-STAR JUDGES | 20 AWS SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

DAY 2 – AWS DEMO DAY – Youth Technology Solutions to Global Problems Following the 5-week artificial intelligence (AI) education primer and project submissions, 9 top teams will be invited to deliver their fast-pitch demos on AWS Demo Day 2 at the Global Innovation Summit for a chance to win scholarships toward AWS training & certification!

Pilot Programs

SMARTPHONE ALEXA SKILLS WORKSHOP, SUMMER 2021

A free no-code smartphone virtual workshop, using Alexa Skill Blueprints, putting low income, underrepresented middle school and high school girls at the forefront of the COVID-19 response (ages 13-17) in Nigeria and U.S.A.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy with the highest poverty level in the world
Around 130 million girls worldwide were out of school before COVID-19, according to UNESCO, and more than 11 million may not return to classes
For every dollar invested into girls’ rights and education, developing nations could see a return of $2.80, according to a new report

2021 PILOT OBJECTIVES

To explore:

What technology can do for governments and our communities
How employers, educators and governments can work together to reduce global poverty and help reach targets to improve girls education included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, signed by world leaders in 2015