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The Somali American Community Association (SACA) sponsored a team of elementary school youth for the International CyberFair and co-sponsored with the Mafiq Foundation a team of middle school youth for the Doors To Diplomacy Contest. Each team won second prize in their competitions.

The International Schools CyberFair is an award-winning learning program used by schools and youth organizations around the world. Youth conduct research and publish their findings online. This White House-endorsed program encourages youth to become community ambassadors by working collaboratively and using technology to share what they have learned.

Eleven students, ages 7-11, from the SACA Saturday School Program worked together from Nov. 2009 through March 2010 on their entry which they titled “The Somali Kids Project,” which can be viewed at http://www.sacausa.org/SKP_basics.html. While some youth participated for part of the project, the core team (pictured) included two students from Al-Huda School in College Park, Md., Safiya Elmi and Nimo Hired, as well as Safia Hired and Shamis Hired.

The purpose of the project was for the youth to learn more about both Somalia and the United States and to better understand their blended culture. The website shares what they learned and teaches others about Somalia and America in the view of elementary school children. The culmination of the project was a set of recommendations to guide Americans toward actions that could make new Somali immigrants more comfortable in the U.S.

The jointly sponsored SACA/Mafiq Foundation team won also the gold award in the Doors to Diplomacy competition. The U.S. Department of State sponsors the “Doors to Diplomacy” educational challenge to encourage middle and high school students around the world to produce web projects that teach others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy. The 2010 competition had 263 student teams from 29 countries. 

The SACA/Mafiq Foundation team was formed as a result of the one member winning the Mafiq Foundation’s 2009 Essay and Poster Contest (EPC) multimedia category. The winner of the EPC multimedia prize, Shefa Ahsan, partnered with her brother Faraz to expand her winning EPC entry for submission to the Doors To Diplomacy contest, which can be viewed at http://www.sacausa.org/D-frontpage.html.

The project was designed to help Muslims and non-Muslims understand leadership and how it relates to diplomacy.  Using the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it shows how his style of leadership made him a great leader and diplomat in his time as well as providing a guide for modern leaders. 

The Mafiq Foundation plans to continue this partnership with SACA, making the winners of the 2010 EPC contest multimedia competition eligible for coaching and entry into the 2011 Doors to Diplomacy contest. The 2010 EPC is scheduled for December 25, 2010.

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More information about the EPC contest will be available on the Mafiq Foundation website (http://www.mafiq.org/) in the fall.

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