A Successful Muslim Youth Leadership Program
Anaheim, CA:The California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) has completed its 13th annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP) at the State Capitol in Sacramento.
MYLP is an intensive retreat in Sacramento designed to introduce American Muslim high school students to the media, law, and government - avenues that shape public opinion and public policy.
From July 13 through 16, 44 high school students from across the state, including twelve from the greater Los Angeles area, participated in workshops on community organizing, leadership development and public speaking.
These participants, who have shown exemplary leadership skills in their own communities, participated in a mock legislative session, serving as legislators, as they debated public policy issues and prepared bills to be presented on the State Capitol Assembly floor.
The mock legislative session allowed participants to gain a deeper, practical understanding of how bills are reviewed and laws are passed in the California legislature.
CAIR - Sacramento Valley Executive Director Basim Elkarra; Chief of Staff for Assembly Member Eloise Gomez Reyes, Mark Farouk; Bay Area Activist Munir Iqtish; and digital producer of Fusion, Yasmin Nouh, were among the keynote speakers this year.
More than 400 California students have participated in MYLP since its first conference in 2005. The program's graduates have moved on to become community activists and have taken on groundbreaking leadership roles.
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