What is a Class Chat?
What is a Class Chat?
Exposure to STEM careers increases a student’s likelihood to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Encourage your students to pursue a career in STEM by bringing an Amazon professional to the classroom. Our Class Chat volunteers will share their personal career story and insight into work in tech and answer your students' career questions. Class Chats are free, live, interactive, and available to everyone.
Encourage your students to pursue a career in STEM by bringing an Amazon professional to the classroom. Our Class Chat volunteers will share their personal career story and insight into work in tech and answer your students' career questions. Class Chats are free, live, interactive, and available to everyone.
1. Select and register for your chat:
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Live, Virtual Class Chat (for teachers)
Teachers can request to connect their class directly with an Amazon Professional for a career talk and Q&A. During the Class Chat, your guest speaker will present their career journey and work experience (~20 minute presentation) and will then open the floor for of Q&A. (~40 minutes total).
Request a Custom Class Chat using the button below. We will pair your class with a volunteer at your requested time and coordinate with you via email. These are available on a first come, first served basis.
- Check out our library of video resources
Looking for a just-in-time resource? Had a chat already and looking to meet even more Amazonians? Missed one of our Class Chat Panel events? See our new Class Chats video library to access on-demand videos.
* On-demand Class Chats - 10 minute career stories highlighting Amazon Employees across a variety of roles.
* On-demand Career Panels - 60 minute recordings of panel events highlighting careers in tech from Transportation to UX Design to Software Development.Special Panel Event for CS Education Week
Free panel event | Bytes + Beats: Tech in the Music Industry
Tuesday December 7 | 10 am PT (1 pm ET)In celebration of Computer Science Education Week, Amazon Future Engineer + Georgia Tech present a free panel event to help students discover the intersection of technology and music careers. Amazon and music industry professionals share their career journeys, and give students a glimpse into how technology and computer science is integrated into the music industry.
This event will be live captioned.
2. Prepare for Your Class Chat
Set your students up for an awesome Class Chat experience with our Class Chat Teacher Toolkit. Inside you will find worksheets, slide decks, and pre/post activities to deepen student learning before and after the chat.
Want to meet more Amazonians? Explore our video library to watch on-demand videos and meet even more Amazon Professionals.
While you wait for your scheduled Class Chat, you can expose your students the ways that computer science and robotics are used every day at Amazon’s Fulfillment Centers. Bring your class on a tour and meet three engineers behind the technology.
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Natalie, Enterprise Solutions Architect
Fun Fact About Me: "I’m a certified open water scuba diver"
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "My first experience with coding was writing BASIC to control LEGO lights and motion in middle school. I was hooked."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "Always learning new things and collaborating with really smart people."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "I love encouraging kids to choose STEM careers, and they ask really good questions!"
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Matt, Area Sales Leader for Central US
Fun Fact About Me: "They call me the “Cat Whisperer."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "As a young adult, I knew that I wanted to be a part of something that was ever evolving."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "I am a problem solver, I love having the opportunity to solve business problems leveraging technology."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Inspiring students to explore new opportunities and watching them light up as they engage with questions."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Michael, Software Development Engineer
Fun Fact About Me: "I can solve a Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "When I could source, build, and configure my own computer, and saw that it worked!"
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "The people you work with are the brightest people in the world."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Answering all of the awesome, tough, and insightful questions from students!"
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Zené, Software Development Engineer
Fun Fact About Me: "I’m always looking for new activities to try. My most recent endeavors have been roller skating and gardening."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "After my first tech internship. Seeing all the ways I could use tech to make a positive impact, even just a small one, in people’s lives confirmed that this was the right field for me."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "There’s nothing better than the feeling you get after solving a really tough problem."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "I think that introducing children to the world of tech at a young age is super important and so seeing their engagement and helping to develop it makes me so happy."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Elisa, Program Manager II
Fun Fact About Me: "I have a minor in Special Education and a Degree in Kinesiology."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "15 years prior to getting hired at Amazon - I just kept applying!"
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "I love my job. I get to line up talks on topics that are interesting and impactful to all our employees."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "You never know when the seed you plant will become the next James Gosling or a future co-worker. It is fun to see the influence we have."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Khayla, Systems Development Engineer
Fun Fact About Me: "I collect roller coaster credits and have ridden 137 different roller coasters."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "Once I took my first web development course, that is when I knew that I had a talent and passion for computers."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "I love the opportunity to build and design the future especially when I can take what I learn and design solutions to aid underserved communities."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "I love the engaging and out-of-the-box questions that I often get asked. The students are always the coolest."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Brian, Sr. Partner Enablement Manager
Fun Fact About Me: "I referee High School Football."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "When I was working as a cable technician and installing the first cable modems."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "The flexibility of my role."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Empowering the next generation of tech leaders and sharing my passion for Allyship and gender equality with the classes I get to speak with."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Luna, WHS Site Manager, Sortation Center
Fun Fact About Me: "I've climbed three mountains taller than 14,000 feet!"
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "I always found myself interested in learning how things worked. Tinkering and curious about systems for animals, environment, and technology."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "Continuing to tinker and be curious about making systems better and working with people to learn from their experience to build with them instead of for them."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Getting to meet students from all over the country and learn from them!"
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Karl, Technical Program Manager
Fun Fact About Me: "I have lived in 3 countries and played a sport in 4 countries."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "11th grade after a friend showed me hacking."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "Seeing ideas comes to life from scratch."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Showing students that all career paths are different."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Elaine, Connect Specialist Solutions Architect
Fun Fact About Me: "I'm a PSIA certified children’s specialist ski instructor."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "When I bought my first consumer grade GPS unit. For someone directionally challenged, a mobile GPS unit is a miracle! My first “wow” moment with tech like a lightbulb lighting up for the first time."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "Sharing that same “WOW’ moment with coworkers and customers alike."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Learning what’s special or unique about the location of each school area through the eyes of the kids we speak with."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Kate, Associate Solutions Architect
Fun Fact About Me: "I’ve eaten bugs. Not on a dare. Trying new things is a hobby."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "As an artsy-person looking for jobs to support my family, I discovered not only do careers in tech provide, but also allows me to be creative."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "Technology is changing rapidly, and with that I’m never bored and able to continuously learn new things."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "The questions part! I love hearing about students’ current interests and goals, and encouraging them to pursue them."
Meet a few Class Chat Volunteers:
Bill, Principal UX Designer Pharmacy
Fun Fact About Me: "I once won a Halloween costume contest by wearing a sticker that said, “Hello. My name is Macklemore."
When I knew I wanted to pursue STEM: "Shortly after graduating from art school, I was working at a design agency and I volunteered to build a website for a client. I had no idea what I was doing but once I realized I could use my design skill and work within technology, I was hooked."
My favorite thing about working in STEM: "Being able to solve incredibly complex problems on a daily basis.."
My favorite thing about Class Chats: "Class Chats allows be to be able to help influence young minds, which to me that is one of the most important things I can do in my career."
More ways to explore with Amazon Future Engineer
Ready to take your computer science education to the next level? Try out these other computer science activities by yourself or with your class.
Age 10-19
Sign up for a live behind-the-scenes tour at Johnson Space Center and let students explore conversational AI by building Alexa skills.
Sign up for a live behind-the-scenes tour at Johnson Space Center and let students explore conversational AI by building Alexa skills.
Ages 8-19
From our online store to your doorstep, discover how computer science, state-of-the-art engineering, and incredible people deliver customer orders at Amazon.
From our online store to your doorstep, discover how computer science, state-of-the-art engineering, and incredible people deliver customer orders at Amazon.
Your Voice Is Power
Ages 12-19
Explore the intersections between music, coding, entrepreneurship, and racial equality.
Explore the intersections between music, coding, entrepreneurship, and racial equality.
FAQ
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How can I register for a Class Chat?Scroll up and sign up for a Class Chat using the buttons above!
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Can anyone sign up for a Class Chat?On-demand recorded chats are open to anyone - teachers, students, public viewers, and anyone interested in tuning in! At this time, the live, virtual Class Chats are only available to classrooms/schools in the United States. Any US teacher may request a Class Chat for their classroom. If you are a nonprofit, after school program, or other entity serving students, please reach out to us directly at classchats@amazon.com.
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Will my employee volunteer be a computer science professional or could they have a non-tech role at Amazon?In an effort to show students the wide variety of roles in tech, we have recruited a diverse range of employees to participate in Class Chats. Some volunteers may be a software development engineer while others may be more focused on marketing or program support. Computer science impacts all jobs here at Amazon, so we hope your volunteer can illuminate the vast array of opportunities that exist in the tech sector.
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What grade-levels can participate?We recommend Class Chats for grades 5 and above. We will explore elementary Class Chats later this year, but think that the current model is best for middle and high school students.
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How much does this cost?All Class Chats are provided at no cost.
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I teach multiple sections. Can I request multiple Individual Class Chats?Yes! You can request a Class Chat for as many sections as you need. It’s possible that a volunteer may sign up to fulfill all your requests, or you may be paired with different volunteers for each one.
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What conference platform do I need to use?For the on-demand Class Chats, we utilize GoToWebinar. It runs in browser, so you will not need to download anything prior to the chat. Use this system check to make sure GoToWebinar is not blocked at your school.
For live, virtual Class Chats, you can choose the video conference system you prefer! You will own the calendar invite and can include your link. If you don’t have a conference system, your volunteer can set a meeting up for your class on Amazon Chime. -
My friend works at Amazon. Can I request them as our Class Chat volunteer?You can let your friend know about Class Chats. If they are already involved, they can look for your request in our volunteer system. If they are not yet involved, they will need to complete training and can then search for your request. We cannot hold sections for specific requests at the moment.
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I requested a live, virtual Class Chat, but never heard back. What should I do?Please reach out to classchats@amazon.com and let us know! This is a new program, so while we will try our best to fulfill all requests, its possible that something went wrong on our end. Please email us and we will try our best to fix the situation.
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Who can I contact for help?Reach out to classchats@amazon.com for any additional support.