UAE student Lamya Butt has been named a top 10 finalist for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2021, a new $100,000 award to be given to one exceptional student that has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond.
Lamya Butt, a 17-year-old student at Dubai Scholars Private School, UAE, was selected from over 3,500 nominations and applications from 94 countries around the world.
The Varkey Foundation launched the Chegg.org Global Student Prize earlier this year, a sister award to its $1 million Global Teacher Prize, to create a powerful new platform that shines a light on the efforts of extraordinary students everywhere who, together, are reshaping our world for the better. The prize is open to all students who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills program. Part time students as well as students enrolled in online courses are also eligible for the prize.
Chegg.org has partnered with the Varkey Foundation to create the new Global Student Prize. Dan Rosensweig, CEO & President of Chegg, said:
“While many stakeholders are busy debating, these students are busy doing. Congratulations to all the finalists of the Global Student Prize. They truly are the changemakers our world needs.”
Lila Thomas, Head of Chegg.org, said:
“Lamya and all our finalists represent the courageous and hardworking students all over the world that are fighting for their future. Despite the challenges of COVID, this generation of students have shown the kind of resilience and creativity that give us all hope as we confront the towering challenges ahead. The Global Student Prize has been launched to shine a light on their stories and listen to their voices. After all, it is their dreams and their talents that will light the path to a better tomorrow.”
Lamya Butt is the Founder and CEO of youth initiative Resilient Together, who worked with international philanthropic organizations, including Dubai Cares, to provide ICT devices for 20,000 UAE students forced into distance learning by COVID. Resilient Together is also an online platform that hosts events, activities, initiatives and opportunities for the youth-focused on community engagement and creating resilience through the pandemic. It has expanded to establish chapters over five countries (UAE, USA, Poland, Mexico, Pakistan). With thousands of youth members,it also provides online courses on coding, debating, public speaking, photography, and other skills.
Throughout her schooling, Lamya has used her experience to develop herself and others. She has represented over 1,600 students as Head Girl; helped tutor students for Maths and Economics and founded the school’s newspaper. She also organized and managed Dubai Scholars’ largest inter-school Model United Nations with over 140 delegates from 20+ schools across the UAE.
In February 2020, Lamya was selected by the United Nations Foundation Girl Up as MENA Regional Leader and Teen Advisor to empower girls, focusing on topics like girls’ education, gender-based violence, and breast cancer awareness.
Lamya believes that winning the Global Student Prize would change her life and would use the award to fund her final year of high school and her university education, removing the burden from her parents. She would also invest in Resilient Together – buying equipment for her growing podcast, expand into storytelling via video platforms, develop the curriculum, and finally pay the volunteer student instructors for their hard work in implementing courses.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, said:
“Congratulations to Lamya for reaching the final 10. Her story clearly highlights the importance of education in tackling the great challenges ahead – from climate change to growing inequality to global pandemics. It is only by prioritizing education that we can safeguard all our tomorrows. Education is the key to facing the future with confidence.”
The other top 10 finalists for the Global Student Prize 2021 are Amisa Rashid from Kenya, Elliott Lancaster from the UK, Jeremiah Thoronka from Sierra Leone, Kehkashan Basu from Canada, Ana Julia Monteiro de Carvalho from Brazil, Matine Khalighi from the US, Mirko Cazzato from Italy, Oluwadamilola Akintewe from Nigeria and Seema Kumari from India.
Applications and nominations for this year’s Global Student Prize opened on Tuesday 2 February 2021 and closed on Sunday 16 May 2021. Students who applied for the Global Student Prize are being assessed on their academic achievement, impact on their peers, how they make a difference in their community and beyond, how they overcome the odds to achieve, how they demonstrate creativity and innovation, and how they operate as global citizens.
The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Student Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals.
If students were nominated, the person nominating them was asked to write a brief description online explaining why. The student being nominated was then sent an email letting them know they had been nominated and inviting them to apply for the prize. Applicants were able to apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. To join the conversation online follow @cheggdotorg
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Notes to editors:
- The Varkey Foundation believes every child deserves a vibrant, stimulating learning environment that awakens and supports their full potential. The foundation believes nothing is more important to achieving this than the passion and quality of teachers. They support global teaching capacity and seed excellence and innovation in the next generation of educators. They also founded the Global Teacher Prize to shine a spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the world. For further details: www.varkeyfoundation.org
- Chegg.org is the impact, advocacy, and research arm of Chegg addressing the issues facing the modern student. For more information, visit www.chegg.org
- Chegg: Millions of people Learn With Chegg. We strive to improve educational outcomes by putting the student first. We support students on their journey from high school to college and into their careers with tools designed to help them learn their course materials, succeed in their classes, and save money on required materials, and learn the most in-demand skills. Our services are available online, anytime and anywhere. Chegg is a publicly held company based in Santa Clara, California, and trades on the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information, visit www.chegg.com
