I’ve been a coder almost all my life, and being able to code has created opportunities for me and for thousands of my fellow Amazonians.
A few years ago, when Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi asked if I would support Code.org by becoming a board member, I jumped at the chance. Hadi’s personal story and passion for CS education are second to none.
Before finding success in the technology industry, Hadi had to teach himself how to code on a Commodore 64 while growing up during the Iraq-Iran war. There were no CS classes or extracurricular programs that were teaching kids about CS, so Hadi’s passion and curiosity for CS helped him gain the skills he would later use to become a successful technology entrepreneur and investor. Hadi discovered that coding is cool, and his passion to share that with kids all over the world led him to create Code.org.
Code.org is a leading nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Amazon believes in Code.org’s mission, and that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.
Today, I’m excited to announce that Amazon is committing $10 million over the next 5 years to support Code.org. We are thrilled to take part in helping develop the talented technology and business leaders of tomorrow. Providing opportunities for a more diverse set of students to learn to code will help broaden the talent pipeline and drive future innovation. This commitment is focused on addressing a long-term challenge, one that has the attention and investment of Amazon and many other companies, which makes us optimistic for the future. I know Amazonians look forward to innovating alongside Code.org to meet the challenge.
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