New AWS Scholarship Program Helps Underrepresented and Underserved Students Prep for Careers in AI and ML

As a lady working in data expertise (IT) for a few years, it has at all times been near my coronary heart to problem long-standing gender stereotypes and encourage extra younger learners to think about a profession in tech. With synthetic intelligence (AI) and machine studying (ML) defining the way forward for expertise, this future additionally is determined by various illustration.

The World Financial Discussion board estimates that technological advances and automation will create 97 million new expertise jobs by 2025, together with within the area of AI and ML. But, based on their analysis, ladies make up simply 32% of AI jobs globally. The Pew Analysis Heart discovered that Black and Hispanic employees within the U.S. comprise simply 9% and eight% of employees within the science, expertise, engineering, and arithmetic (STEM) careers respectively.

At Amazon, we consider that expertise ought to be in-built a means that’s inclusive, various, and equitable. We already supply STEM packages to allow underrepresented teams to construct or advance their technical expertise and open up new profession potentialities. Packages equivalent to We Energy Tech, Amazon Future Engineer, AWS Ladies’ Tech Day, and AWS GetIT goal to construct a way forward for tech that’s inclusive, various, and accessible.

At the moment, I’m excited to announce the launch of the AWS AI & ML Scholarship program in collaboration with Intel and Udacity, designed to arrange underrepresented and underserved college students globally for careers in ML.

AWS AI & ML Scholarship Program Debuts with AWS DeepRacer Scholar
The AWS AI & ML Scholarship program is launching as a part of the all-new AWS DeepRacer Scholar service and Scholar League. This can be a new scholar division of the favored AWS DeepRacer program, a cloud-based 3D automobile racing simulator that gives a enjoyable method to study ML and reinforcement studying (RL). By way of DeepRacer Scholar, you might have entry to free on-line trainings to be taught the ML and RL fundamentals. You even have entry to 10 hours of mannequin coaching and 5 GB of storage monthly to take part within the DeepRacer Scholar League, a worldwide autonomous racing competitors completely for AWS AI & ML college students.

As a part of DeepRacer Scholar, the AWS AI & ML Scholarship program in collaboration with Intel and Udacity is geared towards underserved and underrepresented highschool and faculty college students globally who’re at the very least 16 years previous. These are college students who might have confronted monetary limitations rising up or are a part of underrepresented teams, together with ladies, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, in addition to individuals of shade. College students in these teams who participate within the DeepRacer Scholar League are eligible for an opportunity to win one or two of two,500 annual scholarships from Udacity, a web-based studying platform targeted on expertise expertise.

Learn how to Qualify for the AWS AI & ML Scholarship
To be thought of for a scholarship, you need to efficiently end all AWS DeepRacer Scholar studying modules and obtain a rating of at the very least 80% on all course quizzes, attain a sure lap time efficiency together with your DeepRacer automobile within the Scholar League, and submit an essay.

Every year, 2,000 college students will win a scholarship to the AI Programming with Python Udacity Nanodegree program. Udacity Nanodegrees are large open on-line programs (MOOCs) designed to bridge the hole between studying and profession targets. This goals to equip college students with programming and ML fundamentals to resolve actual world issues with ML. The highest 500 individuals on this first Nanodegree might be eligible to affix a second custom-made Nanodegree program curated particularly for AWS AI & ML Scholarship program recipients.

Teaching and Mentorship Alternatives for Scholarship Recipients
Scholarship recipients not solely get entry to the tutorial content material, but in addition obtain as much as 85 hours of assist from Udacity instructors to make it possible for college students efficiently be taught and progress by the Nanodegree. Instructors and college students meet weekly in small teams, overview the content material for the week, reply questions, and work on a case research as a gaggle train.

The highest 500 individuals who advance into the second Nanodegree will obtain 12 months of mentorship from tenured expertise leaders at Amazon and Intel to assist put together for a tech profession.

All scholarship recipients might be given unique entry to Ask-Me-Anythings (AMAs), fireplace chats, and workplace hours with AI/ML professionals and variety consultants from Amazon, Intel, and AWS collaborators equivalent to Ladies in Tech. These will assist familiarize college students with completely different job capabilities within the AI/ML area.

Enroll by way of AWS DeepRacer Scholar
To enroll within the AWS AI & ML Scholarship program, first enroll on the AWS DeepRacer Scholar service with a sound electronic mail tackle. Observe that this scholar participant account is separate from an AWS account and doesn’t require you to supply any billing or bank card data.

You’ll obtain a verification code by way of electronic mail. After getting verified your electronic mail tackle, log in to the DeepRacer Scholar service and full the sign-up course of.

The shape will ask for some further data, together with your faculty, main, and deliberate 12 months of commencement. You will need to additionally self-certify that you’re a scholar enrolled in both highschool, college, or group faculty.

Subsequent, enroll within the AWS AI & ML Scholarship program by choosing the corresponding checkbox. The scholarship qualification will begin on March 1, 2022.

Welcome to AWS DeepRacer Scholar! Begin studying the basics of ML by the offered on-line trainings. You can too take part within the pre-season DeepRacer Scholar League earlier than the qualifying races begin on March 1, 2022.

Accessible Now
Begin making ready for the AWS AI & ML Scholarship program by signing up for AWS DeepRacer Scholar, out there globally at this time, and decide in to the scholarship program. Begin studying with studying modules, practice your first AWS DeepRacer mannequin, and see the way it performs in AWS DeepRacer Scholar League Pre-season occurring now. Be a part of the AWS Slack group to attach with consultants and ask questions.

Join AWS DeepRacer Scholar and the AWS AI & ML Scholarship program at this time.

– Antje