On March 1, junior Anwar Kiyar was honored as a recipient of the 2026 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County, designed to award young people who work as peacemakers. Kiyar was recognized for leading a free, two-week computer science (CS) course to children ages 9–12 at his mosque in the summer of 2025, in addition to his work as co-president of Jefferson’s Send-A-Smile club.
“Peace, to me, means creating spaces where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to grow,” Kiyar said in a press release published earlier this month.
An avid student studying CS at Jefferson, Kiyar began coding at a young age. However, he recognized that many children do not have the same opportunities as he did to learn CS, as classes are often expensive and inaccessible, leading Kiyar to start a free computer programming course for local youth.
“I’ve always wanted to inspire people to like coding because, at a young age, my mom enrolled me in a lot of coding programs,” Kiyar said. “What [I] got out of it was the basics of coding and the love for it, so I wanted to do the same thing for my mosque.”
The structure of the camp blended individual exploration with guided learning. Students were able to explore Scratch—a block-based beginner-friendly coding language—while assistants, including Kiyar, offered guidance and answered questions. By the end of the camp, the 15 students had each created a game they were able to present to parents at a closing ceremony. The camp not only fostered computing skills, but also encouraged qualities such as communication and curiosity.
“Two or three people who were very anxious and scared to answer questions, by the end of it, were friendly with everybody,” Kiyar said. “They were asking questions, they were helping people, and that shift is what made me feel like what I’m doing is actually helping kids step out of their comfort zone and have a passion for coding.”
At the conclusion of the two weeks, Kiyar’s camp received plenty of positive feedback from parents.
“[Kiyar] modeled peace through inclusive collaboration, thoughtful communication with parents, and a commitment to every child’s success,” Kucakkal said in the press release. “He created a space where respect, kindness, and learning thrived. His quiet leadership reminds us that peace often begins with small acts of care, consistency, and community.”
At Jefferson, Kiyar operates with the same philosophy, hoping to create spaces where kindness and support foster peace within communities. With Jefferson Send-A-Smile, he has helped organize and contribute to initiatives including a school supply drive for Weyanoke Elementary School, uplifting cards for hospitalized children, bracelets for cancer patients made alongside Jefferson Rotary Interact and a paper kindness chain for National Bullying Prevention Month that was featured on the official Jefferson Instagram to spread awareness.
“Small actions of kindness can lead to a very big chain reaction,” Kiyar said. “You might compliment somebody, and they feel happy about themselves, and then that leads them to compliment somebody else, and everybody is being a positive force for everybody.”
Earlier this school year, Kiyar was invited to initiate a weekly math club for elementary school students, developing a curriculum and leading classes that aim to develop proficiency in math while also encouraging a love for learning.
“I’m getting the flow of it now,” Kiyar said. “I’m going to start hiring tutors to teach, so that I can expand on creating workshops or maybe opening an English section or coding program that teaches other kids.”
Through all of this, the goal for Kiyar isn’t recognition, but knowing that he is able to help his community in a meaningful way.
“I want to expand peace by making spaces where people can feel included and educated at the same time,” Kiyar said. “Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict, it’s the presence of understanding each other and then acting on it.”