Give in to Hope Day 24: Avi Schiffman

Lots of us love playing around on computers, and a few of you have probably already done some coding! Programming a computer is a really cool and useful skill, but how many of us could say we created 30 different websites and apps before we turned 16? Well, Avi Schiffman can! Extremely savvy with computers, Schiffman started coding at age 7, and in January of 2020, created a Corona-virus tracker that keeps up-to-date statistics about Covid-19 and other variants worldwide! Within only 3 months, 600 million people had visited the site, and news outlets and governments around the world were using it as the most accurate, timely tracker for the virus. Even epidemiologists (the doctors who study diseases) use it to predict how and where the virus will spread. Avi’s site is still in use, he now has 12 high school students from around the globe who help him run it, and Dr. Fauci considers his site vital to ending the pandemic. Avi could have sold this program and become a millionaire, but he is passionate about the site and wants to keep improving it. For Schiffman, it is all about doing something he loves that can also help others.

To learn more about Avi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnK_G0VXlKs

What is something you would like to invent that could help us during the pandemic or other challenging times in our world?

Closing prayer: Dear God, whether we love computers or cooking, art or animation, something we do can improve someone’s life. Help us find and use our skills and strengths. Amen