Amazon Brings Free AI Workshops to 1,200 Singapore Kids

Imagine an 11-year-old who once found science confusing suddenly building her own working robot and understanding how technology really works. That's happening right now in Singapore libraries, where Amazon just launched free tech workshops for over 1,200 young students.

The Amazon Think Big Program kicked off at Punggol Regional Library this month, offering 60 workshops in AI, coding, robotics, and cloud computing for kids aged 9 to 16. The sessions run through December 2026, moving to Jurong Library in July.

What makes this special is who gets priority access. The program reserves 20% of spots for students from underserved communities through partnerships with organizations like Suncare SG, Mendaki, and other community development groups. Another 240 students will participate through the South East Community Development Council.

These aren't just lectures about technology. Students actually build playable video games from scratch, construct working robots, and learn how AI systems think. In one recent coding workshop, kids programmed their own version of Flappy Bird in a single session, learning game mechanics, debugging, and computational logic along the way.

Real Amazon engineers volunteer alongside instructors from social enterprise Vivita Singapore, showing students that tech careers aren't distant dreams but real possibilities. Each month brings four free workshop sessions at each library location, with sign-ups available through the National Library Board's website.

Seraphina Jerunisha, an 11-year-old participant from Suncare, captured the transformation perfectly. Science used to confuse her, but the hands-on learning changed everything. "Once I came here, I started to understand better," she said, adding that making new friends outside school made it even more enjoyable.

The Ripple Effect

Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary emphasized that programs like this do more than teach technical skills. When students assemble robots or code games, they discover that technology isn't something that just happens to them. It's something they can shape, command, and use to solve problems that matter in their own lives.

Amazon Web Services' Singapore country manager Elsie Tan stressed that technology learning should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford expensive camps or tutors. The goal is helping young people see themselves as creators, not just consumers, of the digital tools shaping their world.

The timing couldn't be better. As AI and automation reshape job markets worldwide, giving students early exposure to these technologies builds both skills and confidence. Starting at age 9 means kids develop computational thinking before they've formed beliefs about what they "can't" do.

Parents and students can register now for workshops running through December 2026, with sessions designed to fit around school schedules and make tech education part of regular library life.

Young minds across Singapore are discovering they can build the future they want to see, one robot and one line of code at a time.