How does a Class Chat Work?
Step 1: Pairing and Planning (at least one month before)
1. Complete the Teacher Class Chat Request form at least a month in advance of your desired Class Chat date. Slots are first-come, first-serve. Note: Class Chats are only available in the US right now.
2. Once you are paired, you will receive a confirmation email with your volunteer's name and email.
3. Reach out to your volunteer to say "Hi" and send a calendar invite to your volunteer using your school’s preferred conference system.
4. Work with your school to confirm release forms and any needed tech setup.
2. Once you are paired, you will receive a confirmation email with your volunteer's name and email.
3. Reach out to your volunteer to say "Hi" and send a calendar invite to your volunteer using your school’s preferred conference system.
4. Work with your school to confirm release forms and any needed tech setup.
Step 2: Teacher Preparation (at least one week before)
1. Review the Teacher Class Chat Guide.
2. Read over all lesson plans and finalize plans for your Class Chat.
3. Personalize any student-facing materials (paper worksheet/digital worksheet and slide deck).
2. Read over all lesson plans and finalize plans for your Class Chat.
3. Personalize any student-facing materials (paper worksheet/digital worksheet and slide deck).
Step 3: Student Preparation Lesson (day before)
1. Complete Lesson 1 – Class Chat Preparation with students.
2. Remind students to come to class the next day with their questions pre-planned and worksheets ready.
2. Remind students to come to class the next day with their questions pre-planned and worksheets ready.
Step 4: Class Chat Lesson (day of)
1. Complete Lesson 2 – Class Chat Day including up to 30 minutes conferencing with your volunteer. All volunteers will have 15 minutes of prepared content and will leave 15 minutes for questions.
2. Include time for student discussion at the end.
3. Collect all student worksheets.
2. Include time for student discussion at the end.
3. Collect all student worksheets.
Step 5: Class Chat Feedback (day after)
1. Complete the Teacher Class Chat Feedback form. Use collected student worksheets to submit requested results.
2. Celebrate on social media! Post a selfie of you doing a Class Chat and tag #amazonfutureengineer so we can re-share! Don’t include any up-close, identifying photos of students as that requires release forms. If you don’t have social media, send to classchats@amazon.com, so we can celebrate you!
2. Celebrate on social media! Post a selfie of you doing a Class Chat and tag #amazonfutureengineer so we can re-share! Don’t include any up-close, identifying photos of students as that requires release forms. If you don’t have social media, send to classchats@amazon.com, so we can celebrate you!
FAQ
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Am I eligible to sign up for a Class Chat?Class Chats are available for any US teacher or non-profit organizations. We prioritize teachers and non-profits working to serve students in Title 1 Schools and historically underserved communities. If you don't teach in an underserved community (low income/Title 1), you can still request, but we cannot guarantee a match.
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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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I teach multiple sections. Can I request multiple 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?It's up to you! You will be the owner of the calendar invite and conference link, so you can use any link your school prefers. If you don't have a conference system, your volunteer can set one up for you using Amazon Chime.
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My friend works at Amazon. Can I request them as our Class Chat volunteer?You can let your friend know. They will need to complete training and then can look for your request in our volunteer system. We cannot hold sections for specific requests at the moment.
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I requested a 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.