"Our vision is to empower young people to realise their potential as creators, thinkers, and builders,” said Akshay Kashyap, India Lead for the Amazon Future Engineer programme. Earlier this month, the e-commerce giant introduced its Amazon Future Makerspace Lab in Bengaluru. The newly launched lab is a state-of-the-art AI and robotics hub developed to help students enhance their skills. With the Makerspace lab, Amazon aims to expand hands-on learning of computer science for children from Class 5 to Class 12 in government schools. Kashyap sat down with the indianexpress.com to discuss the programme and how it focusses on children, especially those in government and rural schools that typically lack access to quality computer science education. "The Makerspace lab is an innovation hub where students can explore their curiosity and work on projects that solve real-world problems. It’s designed to teach hands-on skills like robotics, AI, 3D printing, and drone technology, ensuring that children are future-ready,” Kashyap said, adding that over the last three years, they have reached 2.9 million students and trained 16,000 teachers in eight states. Under the initiative, the schools are supported through government and non-profit partnerships. Along with bringing computer science education to classrooms, they are also offering training for teachers, scholarships and internships for girls from low-income families. How can it help students? When asked how the Makerspace lab can make students future-ready, Kashyap enumerated that through their tiered programmes––beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels––students can explore their creativity and work on projects that revolve around solving real-world problems. Kashyap cited the example of students creating an automated fence to protect crops from wild animals and another instance of developing an alcohol detector for cars. “These projects show problem-solving and technical application, key skills for navigating an evolving workforce landscape,” he said. One crucial lesson learnt during the pandemic was that it is important to equip teachers with the right skills to help them impart lessons effectively. Amazon Future Engineer Makerspace lab not only focuses on students; it is also working towards training educators. “Our educator training programme focuses on equipping teachers with computer science skills, even if they don’t have a technical background.” Kashyap said that the training is offered in collaboration with local governments and it is voluntary. Once trained, the teachers use these skills creatively in classrooms. “For instance, some teach photosynthesis through coding platforms like Scratch, turning traditional lessons into interactive projects,” he said. Bringing AI and robotics to young learners AI and robotics are domains that can be fairly complex for laypeople, and educators around the world find it difficult to incorporate them in curricula meant for children. When asked how the programme simplifies AI and robotics for children, Kashyap said they focus on demystifying these and breaking them down into simple, fun, and engaging modules. “For example, kids may start by building a basic robot, like a butterfly with flapping wings, to understand foundational concepts. We collaborate with nonprofits like Code.org to create accessible curricula and use hands-on tools in our Makerspace lab to make learning enjoyable,” he said. Besides, the content is localised to align with the linguistic and cultural contexts of the particular state, allowing students and teachers to connect with the material. A programme of this scale is not easy to implement. When asked about challenges, Kashyap said that localisation and contextualisation were among the biggest hurdles they faced. “Each state has its own language and education context, so we customise content and provide hands-on support through nonprofit partners. This makes teachers feel confident and supported. While challenges remain, we have seen enthusiastic participation from teachers, students, and government authorities,” he said. In the long term, Kashyap said the initiative’s goal is to make computer science accessible and an enjoyable skill for children, essentially preparing them for future careers. “By fostering foundational skills like problem-solving and teamwork, we hope to empower the next generation to succeed in a technology-driven world,” he said. In the age of generative AI, professionals worldwide are expected to upskill to advance their careers during this transitional phase. While industries continue to harness the power of AI, educational institutions appear to lag behind in most countries. Public schools are yet to fully equip their students with essential skills in AI and robotics—fields poised to shape the industries of the future.
