PHARRELL, AMAZON BRING STUDENTS INTO THE MIX

Pharrell Williams’ education-equity nonprofit, Yellow, has launched the second “Your Voice Is Power” remix competition with Amazon and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

An initiative of Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon Music and Georgia Tech, “Your Voice Is Power” expands computer-science education to students from underserved communities and other groups underrepresented in tech. K-12 students use computer code on Georgia Tech’s EarSketch platform, which has used music to teach coding to more than 200,000 students this year alone.

Said Williams, “Working with Amazon Future Engineer and EarSketch for ‘Your Voice Is Power’ 2022 helps us even the odds in education, especially when it comes to racial equity,” Williams said. “It’s amazing to see the students completely immerse themselves in the curriculum and to watch their coding sequences come to life. The cross-collaboration that happens when students share ideas and exchange creative processes really shapes their experience. Participating in this competition is the true meaning of accomplishing more together.”

Students can participate with their class or on their own. The first round of the competition will run through 2/7, the second 2/8-6/19. At the close of the competition, five grand-prize winners will be awarded scholarships or grants to start a business. Moreover, five teachers will be honored with a cash award for providing exemplary instruction.

Student remixes will be judged by a panel of Amazon engineers, Amazon Music team members, computer scientists, academics and music-industry professionals. Winners are chosen based on the quality of their music, the complexity and organization of their code and their inclusion of thoughtful messaging and calls to action regarding the importance of social justice.

Further details can be found here.