High School Youth
Leadership, Teamwork & Character-Building
Last Modified:
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:32:22 GMT
v1.008
In 2008, The Council held three leadership retreats entitled SOAR! Muslim Youth at the Highest Elements. SOAR! is a day long retreat offering team challenges and leadership workshops led by experts in youth development. The youth experience a series of initiatives over 30 feet in the air. Strategy and strength are combined with strong spirituality to take the youth up climbing towers with over 1000 square feet of climbing surface and multiple routes. Relying on their teams and concentrating intensely, the participating youth are compelled - if they want to make it back down to the ground safely- to master the qualities of unity and ihsan (excellence in one’s endeavors).
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After the rigorous four hour course in the field, young minds and souls are then stimulated by illuminating workshops led by youth development activists, and spiritual trainers. Workshops range from topics around service learning, community organizing, leadership development, character building, and more. There are approximately 200,000 Muslim youth in the Greater Chicago area. Carrying a hyphenated identity, they are largely left alone to negotiate a trail between assimilation and denial. The SOAR! retreat is of timely importance as stereotypes about Muslims have only heightened in recent years and oftentimes young Muslims are left without instruction on how to address this social reality in a constructive manner; a manner conducive to community building and to developing a well integrated Muslim and American self, not that of isolation which only furthers mutual fear and mistrust. SOAR! has served nearly 150 Muslim youth. |
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