Amazon Web Services (AWS) this week inaugurated its Think Big Space offices in BLOQUE, the tech company’s Center for Innovation and Creative Technology in Querétaro city.

The new facilities are the first space in Latin America designed to promote creativity, innovative thinking and the development of technological skills among students and entrepreneurs.

In a statement, Amazon said that “closing the digital divide in Latin America does not start with fiber optics or data centers. Instead, it starts with a 16-year-old having access to the right tools.” 

Now, more than 1,200 high school students a year will be able to train free of charge in skills such as cloud computing, robotics and other emerging technologies in this new educational space.

In a social media post, Mayor Felipe Fernando Macías said “the future has arrived in Querétaro,” acknowledging that students will be able to prepare for the careers that will define the next decade.

Speaking at the May 26 inauguration, Macías said the opening of these new facilities also strengthens the state capital’s position as a national and international benchmark.

“We are incubating dreams, projects and opportunities for thousands of young people, but also for all sectors of society who will find the path toward which the world is heading: innovation, technology, automation, digitalization, artificial intelligence and robotics,” he said. 

The new services also include a partnership with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Starting in June, high school students can enroll for free in six 20-hour STEM courses through the BLOQUE website. 

“Those who complete the six modules and 120 hours of face-to-face training will receive an official certificate from UNAM validating their STEM skills and facilitating access to job opportunities in the technology sector,” the Amazon statement says.

Ana Paola Barbosa, AWS director of public policy in Mexico, said that investing in STEM education is an investment in the economic future of Querétaro and Mexico.

“It’s not just about technology, but about empowering the next generation of innovators and leaders who will build the future of their communities,” she said. 

The initial trial run of the Think Big Space in Querétaro took place last year and featured more than 1,000 female students from 10 local high schools who participated in Amazon Girls Tech Day, a global AWS initiative designed to inspire young women to explore careers in technology through hands-on workshops in programming, artificial intelligence, digital design and robotics. 

The opening of the new space adds to the more than US $5 billion investment represented by the company’s data centers in Mexico.

With reports from El Economista and Expansión