Today, a huge storm closed schools all over the Bay Area, but yesterday, a brave young woman took to the podium to speak out for “those 66 million girls who are out of school.”
Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai is the “first Pashtun, the first Pakistani, and the first young person” to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala added with good humor, “I am pretty certain that I am also the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who still fights with her younger brothers.” Sharing the honor with 60-year old children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi of India, Malala accepted the prize on behalf of children all over the world. “It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change.”
In her speech, Malala spoke of her love of learning and recalled “when my friends and I would decorate our hands with henna for special occasions. Instead of drawing flowers and patterns we would paint our hands with mathematical formulas and equations.”
Rooftop’s fourth grade Susty Girls celebrated by creating art from their own hands, while listening to Malala’s Nobel address.
Dear brothers and sisters, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call “strong” are so powerful in creating wars but so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so difficult?
As we are living in the modern age, the 21st century and we all believe that nothing is impossible. We can reach the moon and maybe soon will land on Mars. Then, in this, the 21st century, we must be determined that our dream of quality education for all will also come true.
So let us bring equality, justice and peace for all. Not just the politicians and the world leaders, we all need to contribute. Me. You. It is our duty.
So we must work … and not wait.
Malala challenges girls everywhere to try their hand at coding by participating in The Hour of Code.
Students are encouraged to access and learn from these coding activities and tutorials all year round:
- Even if you don’t have a computer, you can still participate with Thinkersmith’s Unplugged Hour of Code Activity. (All ages)
- Beginners with tablets can use code to start blazing a trail with Tynker. (Recommended for ages 5-13)
- Make a story with PlayLab. (Recommended for ages 4-104)
- Learn how to code with Angry Birds. Make a game with Flappy Bird. (Recommended for ages 4-10)
- Animate your name, design a Holiday Card or Create a Pong Game with Scratch. (Recommended for ages 8+)
- Use coding to create snowflakes with Anna and Elsa of Frozen. (Recommended for ages 8+)
- Learn how to draw Khan Academy’s Introduction to JavaScript. (Recommended for Middle School)
- Program a game with Python or JavaScript with CodeCombat. (Recommended for Middle School)
- Or make a Mobile App with MIT’s App Inventor. (Recommended for high school)
ArtsEd4All 