Create out-of-this-world Alexa Skills with students (ages 14+).
No Amazon device required.
Discover how voice AI works with Alexa Skills Inventor!
Alexa Skills Inventor is a program on MIT App Inventor that enables students (ages 14+) to code their own Alexa Skills. No Amazon device is required. All skills are built with block code, making it easy for anyone to learn the basics of voice AI and invent their own Alexa Skills.
In order to participate in the Alexa Skills Inventor program, educators will need to create a program-specific login with MIT App Inventor. After creating an account, educators can choose from a variety of lesson plans that come with everything needed to make teaching voice AI easy and fun - including slide decks, worksheets, tutorial videos, and more.
The Alexa Skills Inventor program is currently available for US students ages 14+.
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“I used to think artificial intelligence was only in movies and robots being smart like people, but I learned it’s also just tech that can respond to you and help you with everyday life.”
High School Student, Mississippi -
“This was a fun lesson and a great way to end the year. The students were super excited to hear Alexa respond to them!”
High School CS Teacher, Nebraska -
“This program has made me think more about what majors I want to choose. I was thinking about doing engineering, but you know, this computer science and tech part, I’m more into it!”
High School Student, Mississipppi -
“I enjoyed learning about code and the importance of innovation to promote the general good. I always knew that Alexa was useful, but I underestimated the uses of Alexa before these lessons. Learning more about the functions of Alexa, implicit biases, and space promoted my interests in computer science.”
High School Student, California -
I really enjoyed teaching these lessons. I thought they were interesting, and the students found them interesting.
High School CS Teacher, Connecticut -
“I enjoyed being able to communicate/talk to an AI that responds to my utterances and commands. It was very interesting.”
High School Student, New Jersey
How can my class participate?
2. After sign up, explore the provided lesson materials.
4. Request and print your student logins. Students use randomly generated usernames/passwords to access the MIT platform.
5. Teach a voice AI lesson and celebrate with #AlexaSkillsInventor and #AmazonFutureEngineer!
Lesson materials provided by our partners:
This option is perfect for one class period in any subject area! The lesson covers the basics of voice AI and leads students through two tutorials. Students code Alexa to say “Hello, Moon!” and create an Space Trivia Generator. At the end, students dive deep into Alexa’s AI systems through an interview with Amazon’s Chief Alexa Evangelist.
For computer science teachers that want to go deeper than one lesson, this is for you! In Mobile CSP‘s Alexa in Space mini-unit, students explore AI concepts and create Alexa skills to help inexperienced space travelers, such as tourists, complete everyday tasks in a microgravity environment. This unit is available through a free interactive e-book.
Got time but no CS experience? The NSTA created a five-day learning experience that exposes students to ideas about AI in the context of life science. Students design an Alexa skill to help monitor astronauts’ physical health during deep-space exploration. The curriculum is aligned to NGSS standards.
Lesson video previews:
The following videos are included in ProjectSTEM’s “Intro to Voice AI” lesson. Preview each video below - they are also included in lesson slides decks.
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Voice AI Basics
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Tutorial 1 - “Hello, Moon!”
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Tutorial 2: Random Fact Generator
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Understanding the AI in Alexa
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Take your class on our hour-long, interactive Callisto: Space Innovation Tour on Kahoot! Your students will journey aboard the Orion spacecraft to explore the experimental technology heading to the moon as a part of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can families participate or only classrooms?
All students ages 14+ in the United States are welcome! The Alexa Skills Inventor program and the provided learning materials are designed to be easy for teachers to integrate into classrooms. Teachers and parents can sign up now to bring this experience to their students (US students, ages 14+).
What grade levels can participate?
The Alexa Skills Inventor program is for students ages 14+ in the United States.
Where is this program available?
This program is available to students and classrooms aged 14+ and located in the United States.
Do students need to provide personal information to participate in the program?
No, a student does not need to provide information such as their name, address, or email address to participate. Instead, teachers create MIT App Inventor accounts along with randomly generated student logins, which are used to access the MIT App Inventor platform where skills can be coded. The randomly generated student logins are shared with Amazon in order to support the skills being coded in MIT App Inventor.
What teacher training is offered for this program?
We offer both live and asynchronous training for Alexa Skills Inventor. See here for more information.
How do I sign up for the Alexa Skills Inventor program?
Head to https://alexaskills.appinventor.mit.edu/signup. After you sign up for the Alexa Skills Inventor program, you’ll be able to generate your student accounts, access the coding interface, explore lesson plans, and more!
I already signed up, but I’m not sure how to login to MIT App Inventor. How do I access the platform?
Head to https://alexaskills.appinventor.mit.edu/login to login to MIT App Inventor. From here, you will be able to access the coding interface and all lesson materials.
How do I create my student accounts on the MIT App Inventor Platform?
After signing up for the Alexa Skills Inventor program, you’ll be able to create randomly generated student logins. You can request student accounts in the form of printable cards or as a CSV file. We recommend using the cards to print, cut, and pass out in class.
Can I use MIT App Inventor and make my own lesson?
Of course. Any teacher or educator can sign up for the Alexa Skills Inventor program. We provide lessons and training with three different partners, but you can always create your own learning experiences.
How much does this cost?
All lesson materials and MIT App Inventor are provided at no cost. Students will need their own computer to successfully code their skill.
Who can I contact for help?
Reach out to afe-contact@amazon.com for any additional support.