Amazon Supports Skill-Building Boot Camps
June 9, 2026
During February and April vacation weeks, hundreds of Boston Public Schools students trade some of their well-earned time off to dive deeper into careers at the PIC’s skill-building boot camps. Thanks to support from Amazon, these 1-4 day boot camps allow students the opportunity to explore a wide variety of fields, from biotech and clean energy to art and entrepreneurship.
In 2026, 8 boot camps were offered in February and 5 in April. Between the two vacation weeks, 368 BPS high school students participated in boot camps. While specific skills varied across topics, all boot camps provided exposure to career paths, networking opportunities, and hands-on learning.
Students at the Entrepreneurship boot camp work on their company pitch.
Several popular boot camps returned in 2026, including:
- AI Discovery, MIT RAISE
- Arts, Bloomberg Arts Internship and EdVestors
- Biotech, LabCentral
- Design Thinking and Architecture, Boston Society for Architecture
- Entrepreneurship, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) with Citizens Bank
- STEM in Healthcare, Boston Children’s Hospital
New boot camp offerings reflected in-demand industries and skills:
- Cybersecurity, Stanfield Consulting
- Clean Energy, National Grid
- Financial Literacy, Salem Five Bank
- STRIDE Orthopedics, Boston Children’s Hospital and STRIDE for Ortho
For Amazon, supporting skill-building boot camps is an opportunity to develop future talent while contributing to the local Boston community. “What PIC does with their boot camp program matters — they’re connecting young people to careers at a time when that exposure can shape their futures. Supporting workforce development in the communities where we operate is one of the most meaningful investments we can make,” said Jonathan Greeley, head of economic development for New England and Virginia at Amazon.
Final presentation on electrical vehicles at the Clean Energy boot camp.
Victor Galindo, a junior at Madison Park Vocational High School, participated in National Grid’s February Clean Energy boot camp. Students joined National Grid’s Electrical Vehicle (EV) team for a one-day experience exploring clean energy pathways and careers and applying concepts to current issues, such as off-peak EV charging. “A boot camp really helps you with your future by aligning your goals,” shares Galindo. “If you have a specific goal, National Grid helps you be on the right track.” Victor aims to become an overhead linesman worker in the future and will return to National Grid this summer for his second internship with the company.
At the new STRIDE Orthopedics boot camp, hosted by Boston Children’s Hospital and STRIDE for Ortho, learning was truly hands-on. With guidance from healthcare professionals, students practiced stitching, casting, and knot-tying—all essential skills in the field. Elisa Cardoso Teixeira, a sophomore at the Community Academy of Health & Science, found the exercise illuminating, saying “I’ve only ever tried the hard casting that you need to remove with a saw, so seeing the other kind of casting was cool.”
Practicing knot-tying skills at the STRIDE Orthopedics boot camp.
Michelle Stanfield, founder of Stanfield Consulting, hosted the new Cybersecurity boot camp. She appreciated the support of the PIC team in designing and hosting the boot camp. “Working with the PIC has been amazing,” she says. “Everyone has been incredibly helpful and thoughtful. It has been so nice being in partnership with people who clearly care about the youth and workforce development.”
The PIC would like to thank our partners for hosting these meaningful learning experiences and especially thank Amazon and SIM Boston for making them possible.