Youth-led Leadership Institute to Mark Decade of Community Building

BALTIMORE - March 2, 2020 - PRLog -- Islamic Leadership Institute of America (ILIA), a Maryland -based nonprofit organization led by, and for Muslim youth, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this month.

Since it was founded in 2009, ILIA has reached more than 5,000 youth across seven states with a wide array of services and programs, including youth leadership certifications, in advocacy and public policy, project management, a stellar internship program, and youth crisis line. The organization has chapters in Greenbelt, Baltimore and Ellicott City.

"We are excited to celebrate how far ILIA has come to realize its mission of empowering Muslim youth and creating the next generation of leaders," said Ayman Nassar, ILIA's Founder. "As the Muslim community becomes more integrated in the national political and social conversation, it is critical for youth and the communities that support them to focus on becoming change agents."

ILIA prides itself in its unique organizational structure, which is spearheaded by youth and young adults in the community. The organization has provided vital resources for area mosques, schools and institutions. Since last year, ILIA has also worked with close to thirty-six interns who have led their own programs with supervision, training and coaching from ILIA mentors.

An anniversary dinner (http://decade.islamicleadership.org) to commemorate the organization's efforts to empower Muslim youth at a critical time in this nation's history is set for March 7, 2020 at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center (3501 University Boulevard East, Hyattsville, Md.).

For Abdelrahman Faghali, who immigrated with his family from Egypt two years ago, ILIA has helped the 17-year-old high school student develop previous undiscovered skills in program management and outreach.

"Working with ILIA has helped me connect with my community and transition to American culture," Faghali said. "It is a challenging prospect, but I've learned so much about what it takes to be a leader."

The event brings a mix of unique speakers, a distinguished fellow, the Muslim Guy, Arsalan Iftikhar of Georgetown University; Yasmin Mogahed, a world-renowed motivation speaker; Abrar Omeish a former ILIA youth and rising young leader on the board of directors of Fairfax County Public School System; and Yasmin Elhady, an attorney and social activist who brings a smile to serious matters. The guest speakers will be joined by a youth panel of ILIA's founding board of directors, current youth leadership team, and a number of interns who will share the ILIA Story.

Tickets for the anniversary dinner are available for purchase online (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-decade-tickets-83567244879).

ABOUT ILIA

ILIA is a non-profit 501c(3) educational and research organization founded in Maryland to promote leadership development, education and research based on Islamic values and principles, through personalized experiential learning leadership programs. .