December 7, 2021
This week is Computer Science Education Week, an annual call to action to inspire children and youth to learn computer science, advocate for equity and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers and partners to the field. All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD) is highlighting several books created by Asafeer Education Technologies, the winner of our No Lost Generation Summit Tech prize in 2016.
The Asafeer team created 100 inspiring STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) storybook templates and illustrations for Arabic speaking children and for global translation and use. Below are a few that inspire children with the the power of technology fueled by computer science to impact and transform lives:
- With a Click of the Button, which tells the story of Rose, who lives a quiet country life that is transformed when a new telecommunications tower is installed nearby. Read the book in its original Arabic on the Global Digital Library (GDL) or access an English translation on the same platform.
- Crab Lou, a storybook about a crab who finds a mysterious cable underwater and begins a quest to find out what it is. Read the book in its original Arabic on Asafeer’s online library or access an English translation on the Bloom Library.
- Lost in the Mists of Time, a story about Lara, who is endlessly curious and undeterred in meeting her goal to buy a smartphone and have information at her fingertips. Read the story in its original Arabic on Asafeer’s online library or access an English translation on Bloom.
ACR GCD launched a prize at the No Lost Generation Tech Summit in 2016 to address the challenge of the more than 3.5 million refugee children were unable to attend a single day of school, including those who did attend often faced learning difficulties due to long-term stress as well as the lack of educational materials in languages they use and understand. Without basic literacy and numeracy skills, young people face limited educational progress and economic opportunities. The prize supported the creation of 100 audible, leveled, accessible storybook templates that present engaging STEM topics. The technical requirements of the prize aligned with those of the GDL to allow for the transfer of these materials, in English and Arabic, to the GDL for global adaptation and translation. Learn more about the prize.
