Semi-Arid Campus: Kicking Off the First AWS Student Builder Group at UFERSA Pau dos Ferros
How we kicked off the first AWS Student Builder Group at UFERSA Pau dos Ferros, a campus in Brazil’s semi-arid interior. Low Meetup RSVPs taught us that students find events through WhatsApp groups and class announcements, and nearly 15 people showed up. A recap of our kickoff at Lab IMD 2, the team, and 4 lessons for anyone starting a student group on a small campus.
Who I am and why this group exists
Hi, I'm Leticia Vieira G., student of Computer Enginneering at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region (UFERSA), Pau dos Ferros campus, and the Group Leader of our AWS Student Builder Group (SBG).
I got interested in cloud computing when I signed up for a Distributed Systems course where the professor used AWS and AWS Academy Learner Lab as teaching tools.
Pau dos Ferros sits in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte, far from the state capital. Most of the cloud events, meetups, and tech talks in our region happen in Natal or in bigger cities. For students here, learning AWS usually means doing it alone, late at night, with a YouTube tutorial in one tab and the console in the other.
What we planned for the kickoff
The goal of the first meeting wasn't to teach a service in depth. It was to show students the map: where the learning resources are, how they connect, and what the group will do on campus this year.
| Block | What we covered | Where to go next |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The AWS ecosystem | How cloud services are used to build real-world solutions, and the core service categories (compute, storage, databases, AI) | AWS Free Tier |
| 2. AWS Builder Center | Profiles, articles, and community spaces for builders at any level | builder.aws.com |
| 3. AWS Skill Builder | Free courses, learning plans, and hands-on labs | skillbuilder.aws |
| 4. The SBG at UFERSA | What we'll run on campus: workshops, hands-on activities, technical sessions, AWS-focused events | Our Meetup group |
| 5. Meet the team | The Group Leader and Core Team, and how the community will operate | Leticia (Leader), José Danilo (Technical Leader), Tainar (Director of Marketing), Walber José (Faculty Support) |
| 6. Open floor | Interests, questions, and what attendees want to build | — |
Our Meetup group has about 20 members
When I posted the event on Meetup, I imagined the lab would be packed. However, just a few days prior, the RSVP count was low.
To be honest, my first reaction was to question whether there was actually any interest on campus. I later realized that the low number had more to do with the promotion channel than the level of interest. Most students on our campus had never used Meetup. Around here, information circulates via class WhatsApp groups, professor announcements at the start of class, and word-of-mouth invitations among friends. I promoted the event and the group—including the access links—and people were very specific when confirming their attendance.
To be honest, my first reaction was to question whether there was actually any interest on campus. I later realized that the low number had more to do with the promotion channel than the level of interest. Most students on our campus had never used Meetup. Around here, information circulates via class WhatsApp groups, professor announcements at the start of class, and word-of-mouth invitations among friends. I promoted the event and the group—including the access links—and people were very specific when confirming their attendance.
Event day: what actually happened
Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
With nearly 15 people present, the room accommodated everyone comfortably.
Topics discussed: Builder Center courses, Skill Builder courses, certification discussions, etc.
Almost the entire group had created an AWS account before the event and was actively using it.
With nearly 15 people present, the room accommodated everyone comfortably.
Topics discussed: Builder Center courses, Skill Builder courses, certification discussions, etc.
Almost the entire group had created an AWS account before the event and was actively using it.
If you're about to start a student group on a small campus
These are the things I'd tell myself one month before the kickoff:
- Use Meetup for structure, not for reach. Keep it as the official RSVP and history of events, but promote where students already are: class group chats, a 3-minute announcement at the start of a lecture (ask the professor first), and printed QR codes near the labs.
- Ask for RSVP and check-in separately. RSVP tells you who intended to come; check-in tells you who came. You need both to know whether your promotion is working.
- Plan the first meeting for 10 people, not 50. A small group lets you learn everyone's name and what they want to build, which is exactly the input you need to plan the next six months.
- End with one concrete next step. Not "explore AWS", but "create your Builder ID and join our Meetup before you leave the room."
If you study at UFERSA, join us on Meetup . If you lead a group on another campus far from the big tech hubs, I'd like to hear from you in the comments: how did you get your first members through the door?
#awssbg #awsStudentbuilderGroup #awssbgl #builderCenter #awsmeetup
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