MAS GLA Youth Center
Vision
Empowering Muslim youth to be leaders of conscience and compassion within a vibrant American Muslim community striving for a just and virtuous society.
Mission
Provide a welcoming space to develop Muslim youth to become lifelong, God-centered agents of change within a comprehensive Islamic framework, through various programs, training and activities focused on personal, professional, and spiritual development.
The Need
The Muslim community is losing its youth:
The Muslim community is losing its youth:
Majority of Islamic centers are not adequately catering to youth.
Islamic centers with adequate facilities often do not have enough programs, resources or trained staff to address youth issues.
Lack of trained Muslim youth workers.
YAQEEN STUDY: EXPLORING THE FAITH AND IDENTITY CRISIS OF MUSLIM YOUTH
Healthy religious identity = increased confidence
Unresolved Islamic identity leads to isolation, estrangement, judgmentalism, assimilation
Lack of empathy from leadership for specific struggles of Muslim women (culture, hijab, patriarchy, islamophobia) fuels unresolved identity
Many Muslim youth feel extreme lack of belonging - essential human need
Second-generation Muslims have hard time discerning which elements in community/upbringing are due to culture, religion, or personal idiosyncrasies.
Bad experiences in community reinforce Islamophobic messaging
A majority of youth surveyed feel unwelcome in masjid - would be embarrassed to bring non-Muslim friends.
Many youth feel that religion hinders their aspirations/dreams.
WHY MAS GLA
One of forty chapters of a national organization with a strong focus on youth work
Half of MAS GLA active members are younger than 40 years old, 26% of members are 18-30 years old.
Sisters are well represented with two sisters elected to the Board of directors and half of the under 40 years old members.
Leadership is relatively young with the average age of the BOD member at 42 years old.
Chapter membership is ethnically diverse. Many are US born and others come from across the Muslim world.
Members have a good track record of establishing and operating successful Institutions and organizations in GLA and across the US.
The Youth center will be a base where skills are honed, programs are developed and workers are trained in order to serve the greater LA region.
MYC Goals
- Develop Resilient and Principled Youth: Nurture resilient youth who embody the values of Islam. We emphasize holistic character development, perseverance, and respect in our programs, which align with the principles of God-consciousness and moral leadership.
- Create a Strong Islamic Identity: The experiences and memories made from attending the youth center’s programs and activities will result in confident Muslim citizens with a strong Islamic identity.
- Foster an Inclusive Environment: Provide a space that is welcoming to Muslim Youth and other segments of the Muslim community regardless of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or religiosity. We will focus on youth of all ages including K-12, college, and young professionals.
- Establish a Collaborative Culture: Collaborate internally within the center and externally with other community institutions and organizations, moving away from working in a silo model.
- Enhance our Capacity to Serve: By utilizing MAS' unique approach to holistic development, we seek to increase our capacity to serve the Greater LA community by providing training to youth volunteers, community leaders, and workers.
- Build a Replicable Model: Create replicable-model at other locations across the Greater LA region, serving as a blueprint for future endeavors.
