Boys Town Named Winner of 2025 Amazon Web Services Imagine Grant for Nonprofits
Boys Town will work with AWS to launch AI-powered hearing aid platform to transform pediatric care
Boys Town, NEB (Dec 8, 2025) — Boys Town today announced it has been selected as a winner of the 2025 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine Grant, a public grant opportunity open to registered charities in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, United States, and Canada and registered 501(c) nonprofit organizations in the United States who are using technology to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. The grant will support Boys Town’s efforts to improve how hearing aids are fitted for infants and children who are hard of hearing. The project uses using machine learning to predict ear canal growth that will allow us to maintain the fit of the hearing aid as children develop.
Boys Town was named a winner in the Go Further, Faster category which recognizes highly innovative projects using advanced cloud services. Boys Town will receive up to $150,000 in unrestricted funding, up to $100,000 in AWS Credits, and support from AWS technical specialists. Awardees were selected based on several factors including the innovative and unique nature of the project, impact on mission-critical goals, and clearly defined outcomes and milestones.
Boys Town is revolutionizing pediatric hearing care through machine learning that predicts ear canal shapes and acoustics using simple, non-invasive measurements. By combining generative AI with 3D printing technology, they can create custom hearing aid earmolds without uncomfortable ear impressions. This breakthrough reduces the need for frequent clinic visits while delivering precisely fitted hearing aids to children who need them.
“Boys Town has a long history of leading the world in pediatric hearing research. In fact, technology and protocols pioneered here resulted in the newborn hearing screening and early intervention used globally, helping millions of children each year,” said Dr. Ryan McCreery, Vice President of Research at Boys Town National Research Hospital. “Now we’re harnessing machine learning and generative AI to revolutionize custom hearing aid earmold creation with fewer clinic visits and better outcomes for children. And we’re not stopping there—we’re constantly striving for more personalized, precise, and accessible hearing care for children.”
At AWS, we're continually amazed by the nonprofit sector's innovative spirit and dedication to creating positive change in our communities and around the globe," said Rick Buettner, Managing Director of Global Nonprofits at AWS. "Through the Imagine Grant program, we're seeing organizations embrace cloud technology in ways that fundamentally reshape how they deliver on their missions. From scaling their impact to reaching underserved communities, these nonprofits are showing us what's possible when vision meets innovation. We're proud to support their transformative work and help them build solutions that will benefit communities for years to come."
Since the launch of the Imagine Grant program in 2018, AWS has awarded more than $21 million in unrestricted funding, AWS cloud computing credits, and technical expertise to more than 180 nonprofit organizations. Learn more about past recipients and how nonprofits use AWS to advance their missions around the world at the AWS for nonprofits hub.
Previous winners are currently using AWS services to tackle critical challenges such as improving political transparency, reducing the administrative burden placed on clinicians, accelerating coral reef monitoring, helping millions access clean and safe drinking water globally, tackling rare disease research, and more.
Over 95,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide use AWS to increase their impact and advance mission goals. Through multiple programs tailored specifically to the nonprofit community, AWS enables nonprofits of all sizes to overcome barriers to technology adoption, while enhancing the scale, performance, and capabilities of mission operations.
For more information on the AWS Imagine Grant, visit https://aws.amazon.com/government-education/nonprofits/aws-imagine-grant-program/
About Boys Town
For over a century, Boys Town has been a beacon of hope, transforming the lives of America's children and families through innovative youth, research, and healthcare programs. Boys Town provides compassionate, research-proven education, prevention, training, and treatment for behavioral and physical problems in multiple locations throughout the United States, with a comprehensive array of resources and services. In 2024, more than 3.5 million children and families across the United States were impacted by Boys Town programs. You can find more information about Boys Town online at www.boystown.org.
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