Four Virginia teachers, three of whom are from Northern Virginia, are among this year’s Teacher Ambassadors for Amazon’s Future Engineer program.
This two-year, paid fellowship aims to increase access to computer science and technology. Amazon selects 50 teachers in different grade levels from around the country each year.
The 2024 ambassadors include Essie Jones and Jacci Erney from Alexandria City Public Schools, Virginia “Molly” Fisher from Arlington Public Schools, and Cindy Degnan from Chesapeake Public Schools.
They join last year’s winners, who are now in their second year of the program. The 2023 ambassadors are Kathleen Fugle from Fairfax County Public Schools, Wendy Maitland from Arlington Public Schools, and Sandra Wilfong from Chesapeake Public Schools.
The Teacher Ambassador program is part of Amazon’s Future Engineer initiative, which has a goal of making STEM education more accessible through computer science curriculum, research opportunities, and scholarships.
“Equitable access to computer science resources unlocks economic mobility,” Victor Reinoso, global director of Amazon’s philanthropic education initiatives, said in a news post from Alexandria City Public Schools. “To create brighter futures for our students and communities, we must empower the next generation with the digital skills that today’s high-paying careers require.”
As part of the program, ambassadors will work to “scale computer science equity in their local communities as models for what can be done across the country.”
The ambassadors will collaborate with a network of computer science and technology educators, work to understand the challenges teachers face when trying to implement computer science access, and implement Amazon Future Engineer products and tools.
According to ACPS, Jones and Erney will begin the process with a “local listening tour,” to hear from students, families, educators, and community leaders about barriers to implementing STEM education.
In addition, several NoVA students received scholarships of $40,000 this year, including students from the Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Fauquier school districts.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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