Student developer programs, side by side.

Who it's for

Students and independent learners aged 18 and up, any major or year. Student-led groups for post-secondary learners.

How they join or buy

Join a group in your region, or apply to become a leader through the AWS Student Hub. Leaders describe their experience and plans; applicants referred by an AWS community leader are asked to name them.

What they get

Members: peer learning, hands-on labs, mentorship. Leaders (per AWS's launch post): exam vouchers, AWS credits, experiences with AWS employees, speaking and workshop chances, swag and professional coaching. The leader role is a 12-month opportunity.

How it's promoted

Left mostly to student leaders. AWS's campus-campaign guide suggests starting with existing networks and class group chats, a Meetup page, and short LinkedIn or X posts with a group hashtag, posting milestones as you go.

Campaigns and events

Groups run regional student community days and events (one listing shows a Kathmandu event on Nov 28; a South African university newsroom covered a July 2026 group event). Separately, AWS Educate Taiwan's ambassador program reported 26 community posts across 20 universities, engaging 6,000+ students online.

Heads up. The program was renamed from AWS Cloud Clubs, so older sources use the old name. Leader application windows in the sources have passed (one post lists Aug 16, 2026 for the next cohort). Check the AWS Student Hub for current dates.

Who it's for

Students who want to build AI-driven solutions with Microsoft technology. Ambassadors are not Microsoft employees.

How they join or buy

Register, join the Microsoft Student Developer Community on Discord and complete activities. Per third-party guides, you then get an invitation to a Microsoft Teams space once requirements are met. One 2024 guide describes two routes: drive 2,000 unique visits to Microsoft sites, or complete 1,500 new Cloud Skills Challenge modules.

What they get

Three milestones: Alpha, Beta and Gold, with certificates and badges. Commonly reported perks: Microsoft 365, a Visual Studio Enterprise subscription with $150 monthly Azure credit, LinkedIn Learning. Beta adds a swag box and Gold adds leadership opportunities. Access to Microsoft employees and MVPs on Teams.

How it's promoted

Ambassadors' activities include building AI solutions, leading community events and sharing content on social. Microsoft MVPs run community sessions at universities.

Campaigns and events

Imagine Cup 2026, a student competition with two paths, Scale and Launch, for teams of up to four. MVP-led "Sprint to Imagine Cup 2026" sessions on Agentic AI, Azure AI and Copilot Studio ran at universities and developer communities across Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

Heads up. Most perk and requirement details come from 2023 to 2024 student guides and may have changed. I found no LinkedIn or Instagram campaign details. Check studentambassadors.microsoft.com.

Who it's for

University students, from beginners to advanced. Eligibility varies by chapter; some are open to all students of the college, any program or year.

How they join or buy

Find your campus chapter on the GDG community site and press Join: create a profile, join the chapter, confirm by email, then attend events. No chapter nearby? Apply to start one. Chapters are led by organizers, co-organizers and tech leads.

What they get

Access to webinars, workshops and community events. Some chapters mention a digital GDG member badge. Organizers build leadership and project-management skills and are expected to follow Google branding guidelines and mentor peers.

How it's promoted

Each chapter promotes its events on its own page on the GDG community site: kickoffs, info sessions and workshops, under Google's branding rules for leaders.

Campaigns and events

Solution Challenge 2026, "Build with AI": build solutions for the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Chapters run kickoffs, info sessions and workshops around it. One India listing cites a prize pool of ₹10,00,000 and Hack2Skill as an organizing partner.

Heads up. Search results were mostly individual chapter pages, not Google's official program rules, so perks can differ by school. I found no official social campaign posts or hashtags.