(COLUMBUS, OH, 01/19/23) – On Monday, January 16, The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) hosted over 30 high school students from all over the state for its second annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP), a political education and leadership building experience for Ohio Muslim High Schoolers on Martin Luther King Day.
Youth from the Greater Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Toledo areas came together at the CAIR-Ohio Columbus office to learn how they can make an impact and become changemakers in their communities. On Martin Luther King Day, young students were selected to be part of MYLP, a program created to equip youth with the skills and knowledge necessary to make changes through awareness, empathy, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and creativity.
Students had the opportunity to explore careers in government, advocacy, and politics, while also gaining an understating of the political and social ecosystem. Executive Director Amina Barhumi set the intention of the day by highlighting Islam’s tradition of justice and action. Barhumi referenced a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)، “Whoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he not able to do so, then with his heart” [Hadith 34, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi].
Staff members coordinated an immersive program for students to experience what it would be like to work for a civil rights and advocacy organization like CAIR-Ohio. Activities included creating a press conference, researching legislation on student rights, presenting a testimony, organizing an educational event, and much more. This helped in building their skills in campaigning, organizing, and leading, which in turn helps them enter professional settings in a more impactful way.
