A Muslim woman from Greenbelt, MD, Nadia Hasan, has formed a new leadership institute with trainings geared toward Muslim youth. Recently, The Muslim Link interviewed Sr. Nadia bout her work, the institute, leadership and the state of Muslim youth.
The Muslim Link: What is the purpose and vision behind the institute? Why is it so important to have an institute of this nature?
Nadia Hasan: Young Leaders Institute is all about “Leading Youth to Greatness”! We believe in the power of youth having the ability to make this world a better place.
Young Leaders Institute is a unique youth leadership platform and network connector designed to empower and equip young people with extraordinary leadership skills to boost their self-confidence and to help put them on a trajectory toward academic excellence. We provide an open, safe environment for students to focus on their strengths and redirect their talents toward finding their passion, their purpose and their true, best self. Through introspective, comprehensive trainings and mind-shifting exercises, students gain a profound sense of confidence and walk away with a multitude of tools that will enable them to unleash their greatest potential, as they are inspired to take on new leadership roles. Students will rise with a new global outlook as they are empowered to become the social innovators and agents of change that will transform their communities and the world around them.
This is such an important initiative because today we are finding that schools are only teaching our kids how to pass exams and how to memorize information but our youth are not being taught how to think critically, which is an essential skill to have for problem solving and conflict-resolution. Young Leaders Institute trains students how to navigate through complex situations, enabling them to be critical thinkers in a dynamic world. We offer a non-judgmental environment for youth to engage and connect so that they may continue to work to overcome challenges and obstacles and find a way to achieve their greatest potential.
TML: What is your background and how did you come to this point? Is the institute a non-profit organization and is it affiliated with any other leadership organizations?
NH: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, a Master’s degree in accounting (MBA) and I did my thesis in Islamic Finance. Over the years, my work has spanned across a multiplicity of disciplines to include entrepreneurship, social justice activism, public speaking, book editing, interfaith peacebuilding, government and public relations, community organizing, writing, women’s rights advocacy and youth education, mentoring and training.
For years, I’ve been visiting and speaking at churches, synagogues and other houses of worship and I’ve witnessed the extent to which other faith communities are investing in their youth. They expend an abundant amount of money, time and resources investing in the next generation of leaders. I wanted to do the same for our youth and for our community and hence came the birth of Young Leaders Institute.
TML: Tell us more about the networking platform.
NH: The Young Leaders Network is an ongoing training platform and network connector that keeps the young leaders engaged and leading more productive lives. Once the student registers for the youth leadership training seminar and completes the initial training, they are then automatically enrolled into the Young Leaders Network. It is here, in the Network, where we will continue to engage, inspire, encourage and lead the young leaders towards “greatness”. They will have access to the many leaders, trainers and mentors. They will also have access to a plethora of academic and professional resources, to include volunteer opportunities, mentorships, internships, seminars, webinars, conferences, etc… The Network is a healthy, dynamic network for students to stay engaged and connected with other young leaders and social innovators so that they can become the leaders they are capable of being TODAY!
TML: In ten years what do you want to see from the youth that you train today?
NH: As we train and empower more Muslim youth and increase the talent pool within our community, I expect to see an abundance of youth taking on more active, leadership roles within Masajid, Islamic organizations and within mainstream non-profit organizations. I also anticipate that many of our students will go off and start their own organizations or they will take on very important global causes and campaigns. We believe in the power of youth working together! With the right guidance and support, overtime, they will rise with new, brilliant ideas that will bring about social change and will make the world a better place. As a result, we envision a billion youth rising to take ownership of their purpose, their vision, and their contributions to society and to the entire world.
TML:What kind of activities are incorporated into the workshop?
NH: The initial training is an all-day seminar with multiple workshops incorporated into the day. Young Leaders Institute is all about active leadership- being in the present- and acknowledging the moment of NOW! Young Leaders Institute aims to build leadership capacity on various levels, creating scalability from the individual all the way up to institutional leadership. The journey is full of thought-provoking discussions, interpersonal skills and attitude development, collaboration and team building exercises and much, much more. The students gain leadership skills in the following areas: inspirational storytelling, interpersonal reflection, communication skills building, identity recognition / perception, framing a personal narrative, leadership skills development, teamwork / collaboration, innovation / cooperative economics, community organizing / engagement, public speaking / open discussion, common ground / global, citizenry, and finding your success through success of others.
At the end of the day, parents are invited back to hear about what the students have learned and to watch the group presentations.
TML: How are they differentiated by age?
NH: We have three different programs for three distinct groups of youth: Middle school, High school, College and University students. We’ve even developed a unique leadership program for parents, teachers and educators that we plan to launch very soon.
TML: Tell us about the trainings for students in need.
NH: As we work toward building a more just and inclusive society, Young Leaders Institut is unequivocally committed to ensuring that all youth, including those who live in urban, rural or underserved areas, have an opportunity to be trained and receive equal opportunity and access to the same resources as their affluent contemporaries. Young Leaders Institute continues to seek corporate sponsorships for those students who are unable to afford to register for the trainings.
TML: What are the major issues facing Muslim youth in the United States?
NH: The issues facing Muslim youth are very similar to the issues facing other youth in the United States. All youth want to be validated and feel that they are liked (loved) and feel that they belong among their peers. It is imperative that our youth have a strong personal identity as well as understand their purpose in life. We help students focus their talents on the things that are important in life and we guide them on how to find their success through the success of others. We equip our students with the interpersonal leadership skills needed for them to be confident, resilient, and influential leaders in their personal and communal lives. We discuss both internal and external factors that impact Muslim youth and we show them how to navigate these challenges so that they may turn those challenges into opportunities for themselves and for the people around them.
TML: Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
NH: There have been a lot of people who have had a tremendous impact on my life, starting from my parents and my maternal grandmother to unrelated leaders in the Muslim community, such as Dr. Hassan Hathout, Dr. Maher Hathout, Dr. Ahmad Sakr, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Ustadha Maria Khani and many other Imams, leaders and scholars who I’ve had the great fortune of being connected to and learning from during my life time. Each gave me something different and I’ve benefited tremendously from each of their life-long sacrifices. From young, my parents always pushed me toward academic excellence and from my grandmother, I learned the importance of having spirituality in my life. The scholars equipped me with knowledge, critical thinking skills, and practical leadership skills that I didn’t have the opportunity to learn in public school. My mentors taught me about the interconnectedness of humanity and how every one of my life decisions affects someone or something in our planet. They also taught me the importance of staying connected and engaged to something positive to people who are doing great things.
TML: What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
NH I believe that it is essential for every leader to have a lively sense of humor! It is a skill that can’t be taught. Everything else you can learn.
TML: What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?
NH: I would say that it’s important to know that leaders are not born but rather leaders are made and cultivated over a period of time. Behavioral studies have shown that people become leaders through the process of teaching, learning and observation. Leadership is a set of skills that can be taught, learned and acquired through training, perception, practice and experience over time. It is not something that happens overnight. This is what we are offering our youth at Young Leaders Institute.
TML: How would you deal with a teenager in trouble?
NH: Privately, using much discretion, care and compassion. That is the Young Leaders Institute way!
TML: Who is funding the organization? Do you take any CVE (Countering Violent Extremism Federal government program) money from the government for your programs?
NH: Young Leaders Institute is funded by the recipients of the service, students who register for the trainings and by faith communities who sponsor their students to take the trainings. We don’t take any CVE money as it is not related to our program. We also have not taken any money from the government nor have we applied for any grants. This is an independently run organization, which has the students held in the highest esteem and at its best interest.
TML: What have you learned about our youth from your trainings?
NH: I have learned that our youth have a lot of enthusiasm and have lot of great potential to do remarkable things. Thus far, the youth have dubbed our program as “a success story” by stating that they normally would not have these opportunities available to them if it were not for Young Leaders Institute youth leadership trainings. We want to capitalize on the momentum of youth collaboration and support them on a trajectory toward academic excellence and empower them to new leadership roles as social entrepreneurs.
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