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West Coast ISNA Education Forum Provides Vital Training, Builds New Partnerships

Attendees collaborate during a session focusing on
ntegrating technology into the classroom.

(Jan 20, 2012) ISNA kicked off a successful first ever West Coast Education Forum in Long Beach, California last weekend with a solid attendance of more than 200 education professionals, 30 speakers, and many volunteers, who we thank for their dedication to make this event a success!

A special thanks goes to the program & organizing committee who played a critical role in the development of the program. Sufia Azmat and Susan Labadi from the program committee share their summary of the event below. For everyone who could not attend or lived outside the west coast region, don't forget, the national ISNA Education Forum will kick off its 13th year this April 6-8, 2012 in Chicago!

SEE: Photos from the West Coast ISNA Education Forum

Attendees of the West Coast ISNA Education Forum were first treated to a choice of three pre-conference workshops, focusing on Arabic instruction, inspiring student motivation, and using technology to enhance Islamic and Quranic education. In addition, attendees were presented with more than 15 parallel sessions and panels providing a toolbox of ideas and skills to apply to their work within Islamic schools and designed to provide inspiration and a renewed commitment to attendees.

Below are some of the over-arching messages shared by some of the weekend's speakers as they focused on the critical role educators and Islamic schools play in developing the next generation of positive leaders in our youth.

Dr. Gasser Hathout spoke of the individual, institutions, and ummah in his keynote address and their role in supporting the development of one another. He expressed that parents do not yet realize the critical value our Islamic schools have for our ummah's overall development. His observations included the damaging effect discrimination in our society can have upon our youths' identities and explained that as adults, we can filter out Islamophobia, but children's psyches are damaged by this prejudice. Islamic schools provide a solution by not only providing a quality education but also the environment to nurture our children's identity in a place of mutual understanding and foster spirituality.

Maher Hathout, co-founder and Senior Advisor of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), summarized that we are historically trapped in a period of change. Citing the Arab Spring, he specified that with the necessary sacrifice and wisdom of today's teachers and principals, we must have a vision for the future. According to Hathout, our teachers and educators offer the solutions through our students for a brighter future.

Sh. Mohammad Faqih, Imam of the Islamic Institute of Orange County and instructor at Al-Maghrib Institute, shared a message to remind teachers that they are often the unsung heroes, but that Allah counts their deeds. He reminded the attendees that they are trusted by parents for the future, and that they are appreciated. He said that in the end, we all work for Allah, and that happiness comes from when we connect with the One who created us.

During a panel session, entitled, "Critical Issues in Islamic Education," ISNA Secretary General Safaa Zarzour emphasized the need for parents and community members to take an active role and support our Islamic schools as they grow and transition through various phases of development. Zarzour also used the education forum as an opportunity to meet with community members across Southern California.

Over the weekend, he met with more than twenty-five leaders at the quarterly meeting of the Shura Council of Southern California to present ISNA's plan for community building and also participated in a panel on Sunday with Dr. Maher Hathout and Wasi Momin to discuss cultivating the emerging American Muslim identity. Following the panel, Zarzour met with more than 50 community leaders to discuss future collaborations between ISNA and the Southern California Islamic Center as a part of our ongoing campaign to connect with our grassroots.

ISNA sends a special thank-you to all the dedicated volunteers who worked with us to prepare for and execute our first ever West Coast ISNA Education Forum, and to the dedicated education professionals who attended. We look forward to more regional education forums and to seeing you for our national ISNA Education Forum in Chicago!

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