Our Impact
Diversity Education
86.6% of the participants in a 2019 diversity education workshop we did for staff at the Center for NYC Housing, self-reported an increase in understanding of Islam and Muslims after the presentation.
“The prohibition of interest is Islamic finance is something I did not know before. This is extremely useful for referrals to homebuyer programs”
“The 5 pillars and 6 beliefs, and Islamic financing will be useful in understanding the needs of Muslim homeowners.”
Civic Education
100% of participants reported “most proficient” in understanding protections that exist under NYC’s Human Rights Office after a presentation Civic Education by MCN.
“There’s an agency focused on human rights discrimination cases”
“I learned about my rights and how to speak for myself and others”
“Whenever you face discrimination you may file a claim and call 311 to call the NYC commission of human rights office”
Self-Defense Training
92.8% of participants reported “most proficient” after a workshop on self-defense techniques. I learned:
“More about my rights and how to defend myself”
“Using your voice and loosening your grip are part of self-defense”
“How to protect myself when touched”
MY NYC
Trained 60 Muslim Youth Social Justice Leaders through our MY NYC (Muslim Youth NYC) Program
Although my time in MCN was cut short (due to the coronavirus) and we only had class once a week, MCN and sr. Rana have taught me things that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. I learned how to be proactive towards issues, how to help support my community, and how to advocate for issues that matter to me. MCN has showed me just how important it is to know your rights and do your best as a Muslim to improve the conditions around you. MCN has empowered me and my classmates to fight for social justice issues that we care about, it showed me what it means to be a true leader in my community and I am forever grateful. Sr ranas extreme dedication to each group and each project motivated us to work harder. I’m going to miss MCN more than anything, but I won’t ever forget any of the great experiences I had in it.
– Mehrun Ahmed
I learned how to address different issues and who to talk to about the topics. I learned to be the voice and speak up. And definitely improved on public speaking.
– Shahriar Zim
Throughout the MCN workshops, I am grateful and lucky enough to have taken lessons and implemented them in daily life. Leadership, public service and speaking, all of it, has been modified in my perspective due to the lessons taught at MCN. I learned that leadership is not only leading an ideology. When you’re a successful leader, other people can see themselves in you. When I got appointed as student body president, I wanted my main agenda to be unity. I strived to be likable most of all. But now, the same motive is heightened but now I want to inspire and amaze. I want people to stand by me, but to want them to be better because of me. This program helped me enhance my attitude of civic duty light years ahead of my time and shaped my future. It also became my safe place to talk about my views and future plans without judgement.
– Rabia Raziq
It was a great experience since we never had a program like this before that lasted throughout the whole school year. I loved how we got to speak about issues and different topics that we don’t usually talk about in a classroom setting.
– Deena Mohsen