SAN JOSE — At just 16, Ayaan Raza has launched coding camps, co-built libraries in Africa, and raised tens of thousands of dollars for global causes. His message to other teens? “Start with what you care about— and act.”
Most teens spend their summer breaks unwinding. Ayaan Raza spent his time collecting 40,000 books to help build libraries in Kenya and Tanzania.
And that’s just one of the many projects this 16-year-old student from Westmont High School has launched to make the world a better place.
Over the past seven years, Ayaan has taught hundreds of kids how to code, mentored students with different abilities, built international literacy campaigns, and raised over $110,000 for causes that matter — from disaster relief to education rights in the US and beyond.
He’s done it all while juggling homework, after-school clubs, and being a typical high school student.
It Started With a Trip
Ayaan’s passion for helping others began unexpectedly — on a family trip to India in 2018, when he was just nine.
At a local community centre in Chennai, he met kids just like him — curious, smart, energetic — but whose access to resources was limited to rusty blackboards and broken chalks. “I remember thinking, why do I get all these chances, and they don’t?” he says.
Determined to give back, he returned the next day with a suitcase full of LEGO kits — the same ones he loved building with as a child. “They didn’t even know how to follow the instruction manual,” he recalls. “But once they figured it out, the excitement was contagious.”
That experience, repeated over two summers, turned into a partnership with ActionAid India to run games and team-building activities that helped students build confidence. His extensive work was then featured on ActionAid India’s national blog.
When he returned to San Jose, he realised similar inequities existed in his own backyard. “There were kids right here who wanted to learn but lacked the opportunity. That’s when I decided to teach coding — something schools weren’t really offering.”
A Garage, a Laptop, and a Big Idea
When COVID-19 hit, Ayaan knew kids everywhere were struggling — isolated, distracted, and falling behind. So he turned his bedroom into a virtual classroom.
He started teaching Scratch programming online to younger kids in his community. His first class had just five students — by the end of summer, dozens had joined. That project evolved into FutureMinds4Kids, an organization that now operates coding programs not only in the Bay Area but nationwide.
He later expanded his expertise to Python, HTML/CSS, and Java, partnering with the San Jose Public Library to offer free tech lessons and reach underprivileged students across the Bay Area. “Programming is like a superpower — especially when you’ve never been exposed to it,” he says. “It can change the way you think.”
Tech for Everyone
But Ayaan didn’t just want to teach kids who already had a head start. In 2021, he began working with WeEmbrace, a nonprofit that supports neurodiverse kids. As founder of WeEmbrace’s coding classes, his approach emphasized playfulness over perfection and accessibility over rigor.
He also joined Inclusive World, where he mentors neurodiverse students in robotics and helps them develop both technical and social skills. In addition to mentoring, he refurbished Cerebras System’s unused laptops for donation, transforming these devices into lifelines for students with access to technology. Inclusive World recognised his efforts by awarding him the Outstanding Volunteer in 2024 and Ambassador of the Year in 2025.
“I wanted to create spaces where everyone could thrive — where kids felt proud of what they built, regardless of their ability level.”
Building Libraries from San Jose to Africa
In 2023, Ayaan’s passion for literacy took center stage. Partnering with the Maryam Library Foundation, he led efforts to collect 40,000 books for under-resourced schools across rural Kenya. He organized donation drives, rallied student volunteers, and packed a 20-foot shipping container to the brim.
Now serving as the Foundation’s Executive Director for Community Outreach and Volunteer Relationship, he’s helping to expand the initiative to Tanzania. His efforts have enabled a partnership with the Campbell Union School District that will further advance his and the foundation’s goals. His advice to aspiring young changemakers? “Start small. A surprising number of school libraries are full of gently used books just waiting for a second life.”
A New Kind of Fundraiser
Ayaan also knows how to make money— for the right reasons.
Together with his friends, Ayaan organised his first fundraiser in elementary school, selling handmade keychains to raise $1,600 for disaster relief. Driven by the response, he set up fundraisers at farmers’ markets in Campbell and Palo Alto. By high school, he was raising over $10,000 a year through online campaigns, school drives, and company partnerships.
In 2021, Ayaan donated his savings to a Primary Health Center in Bangalore, enabling them to purchase an oxygen concentrator that ultimately saved over 20,000 lives. In the following years, he and his sister, Numaa Raza, raised funds for numerous organisations, including the Maryam Library Foundation, Inclusive World, ActionAid, Direct Relief, Challenge to Conquer, and WeEmbrace — helping everyone from Afghan refugees to neurodiverse children. Their donation drives even attracted the support of Silicon Valley firms — Cerebras Systems hosts one of their campaigns in-office every year.
“You don’t need to write a big check to make a difference,” Ayaan says. “If you can’t give money, give time. If you can’t give time, share the cause. There’s always something you can do.”
Leading by Example
At school, Ayaan founded the FutureMinds4Kids Volunteer Club to help peers launch their own STEM and mentoring projects. He also volunteered with FORA (Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America), tutoring newly resettled students in Math and English across North America.
His contributions have earned him national recognition, including the Presidential Volunteer Service Award every year since 2022, as well as the Marian Huhn Memorial Award from the California Junior Scholarship Federation. But Ayaan doesn’t dwell on accolades.
“I want to build ecosystems — not just programs — where kids from all backgrounds can grow into leaders,” he says. “Especially those who are too often overlooked.”
For Every Kid Who Wants to Do Something
So what’s next for Ayaan?
He continues to lead coding camps, build libraries, and support other students who want to start their own initiatives. He’s also interested in studying Computer Science, with a focus on AI/ML, particularly tools that support adaptive learning for students with special needs. But his biggest goal? Making sure other teens know they can do it too.
“Start small. Consult with your librarian, principal, and parents. You don’t need a nonprofit or a huge platform. Just find one problem you care about — and take the first step.”
