Ayaan Raza

Ayaan Raza, a sophomore at Westmont High School in Campbell CA, started volunteering in 3rd grade where he spent his summer teaching underprivileged kids at a local community center in Chennai, India.

He went ahead and started his own organization in the Summer of 2020 called FutureMinds4Kids whose goal is to introduce programming concepts to students early in their lives. He taught classes through his organization and also teamed up with SanJose Public Library and Moreland Middle School to teach coding classes to students within his local community and across the Bay Area.

He also partnered with an organization called WeEmbrace and started teaching coding classes to students with disabilities across the USA. He also volunteered in person through an organization called Inclusive World and continued working with students with disabilities by becoming a mentor and a buddy. Ayaan supported these students academically by monitoring their success and by helping them with homework.

Ayaan also raises funds by organizing fundraisers to help people affected by natural disasters around the world, support local families impacted by Covid-19, encourage education for all kids around the world, support after-school programs, and Home and School Clubs within his school district. He teamed up with ActionAid India, DirectRelief, ActionAid USA, and Moreland Education Foundation in this effort. He also raised funds for organizations like WeEmbrace and ChallengeToConquer to help in their efforts to support programs catering to students with disabilities.

He also teamed up with Maryam Library Foundation whose goal was to build libraries that can benefit the communities by raising their literacy rates, improving moral values, acquiring valuable skills to raise their living standard, and contributing to society. He reached out to his teachers, and staff in charge of the libraries of different schools in his school district and collected books that were being taken out of circulation. His goal is to continue reaching out to various library staff schools within the Bay Area and collect books to support the Foundation in reaching its goal of building libraries in Asia and Africa. 

After joining the organization, Ayaan was instrumental in expanding the team of volunteers for the foundation. He reached out to his friends from his school and across various institutions and shared the organization's mission to promote literacy to underserved communities.  Through his dedicated efforts and effective outreach strategies, he successfully attracted a diverse group of passionate individuals who have significantly contributed to the foundation’s mission. Ayaan's leadership and commitment have not only increased the number of volunteers but also enhanced the overall impact and reach of the foundation’s programs. Through his efforts, Maryam Library Foundation was able to achieve the goal of building 40 libraries in Kenya. Currently he is leading efforts and new initiatives by training new volunteers, organizing book drives, collecting books from local neighboring schools and communities and sorting and packing the books for the new goal to build 40 libraries in Tanzania. Through his commitment, the foundation is well on its way to achieving this new ambitious goal.