Build a STEAM School in Afghanistan

Self-driving cars, the internet of things, and machine learning algorithms.
 
In order to compete and prosper in the 21st century, countries must be able to access and harness the groundbreaking technologies that are transforming our world.

But there’s a real danger that large parts of the globe will be left behind. The very technologies that can improve our lives also threaten to exacerbate inequalities and perpetuate dangerous biases. And unless the benefits of Artificial intelligence (AI) are distributed equally, it may widen the gap between world’s richest and poorest communities.

We are going to make sure that doesn’t happen.

We’re raising money to build a high school of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) in Afghanistan to raise the next generation of global tech leaders, led by Sarah Porter & Roya Mahboob.

SaRoya School 3 year objectives:

1) Construction of the high-school’s building 

 
2) Equip the building with internet access and technology equipment appropriate for instruction 


3) Hire qualified teachers and reputable administrators 


4) Enroll 800 students in the first year of operation 


5) Create partnerships with top technology schools in the US. 


6) Expand capacity and begin plans for a University

We really need your help!
You can play a role in narrowing the global wealth gap, strengthening social mobility, and mitigating racial and gender inequalities.


We need all the help we can get. Here’s how we’ll express our gratitude to larger donors:

Founding Donors: Over $50,000
- 2 free VIP passes to World Summit AI
- You can name one classroom at the Saroya Institute (name subject to review)
- We’ll thank you on stage at World Summit AI and in our press release
- Your name and/or logo will be placed on the Ada-AI website
- Your name will be listed in the school lobby on a large plaque

$20,000 – $49,9999
- 2 free standard passes to World Summit AI
- We’ll thank you on stage at World Summit AI and in our press release
- Your name and/or logo will be placed on the Ada-AI website
- Your name will be listed in the school lobby on a large plaque
 
$5,000 – $19,999
- We’ll thank you on stage at World Summit AI and in our press release
- Your name will be placed on the Ada-AI website
- Your name will be listed in the school lobby

$1,000 – $4,999
- Your name will be placed on the Ada-AI website
- Your name will be listed in the school lobby

What your donation could do:

$100 provides 50 students with pens and notebooks.

$1,000 buys laptops for 6 students.

$50,000 builds and equips an entire classroom.

Please donate now. You'll be changing lives of struggle and danger to lives of prosperity.

Empowering Youth in Afghanistan

The leaders of this project are Roya Mahboob and Sarah Porter. Their inspiration for this initiative emerged from their involvement with Afghanistan’s all-girl Robotics Team, who has won tech and robotics competitions around the world. Mahboob’s non-profit Digital Citizen Fund founded the team and has been one of their most important sponsors. Porter and her company InspiredMinds brought the team to the stage of World Summit AI in Amsterdam.  These girls were a symbol of the resilience and persistence of so many like them. They inspired thousands of young girls and won the hearts of people around the world. We can make this happen for thousands more.




About Roya Mahboob

Roya is an Afghan entrepreneur and businesswoman and one of the first female CEOs in Afghanistan. She founded and serves as CEO of the Afghan Citadel Software Company, a software development company based in Herat, Afghanistan. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Digital Citizen Fund, a non-profit organization based in New York that helps girls and women in developing countries gain access to technology. In 2013, Roya was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People In The World for her work building internet classrooms in high schools in Afghanistan.

About  Sarah Porter

Sarah has launched 22 tech and science products in 12 countries since 1996. She is the founder of Ada-AI, a global not-profit that advocates for inclusive and representative AI, and InspiredMinds, a group of science and tech strategists behind World Summit AI who supported the Afghan Robotics team in the wake of the Trump travel ban. Sarah is a regular keynote speaker on start-ups and women in business, an ambassador for the Royal Marsden, where she champions the use of AI tech in oncology advances, and a humanitarian first-response medic.

About Ada-AI


Ada-AI is non-profit organization working to ensure that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies are developed and implemented in ways that are inclusive and equitable.

Our goal is to foster greater participation and representation in AI so that the technologies we create work for all of us.

About Digital Citizen Fund

The Digital Citizen Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in New York City. The Digital Citizen Fund helps girls and women in developing countries gain access to technology, virtually connect with others across the world, and obtain necessary skills to succeed in today’s expanding global market.