Islamic Cultural Center of North America News

 

Proposal: Community Partnership Initiative

 

The Coalition

 

COALITION MEMBERS AND RECENT HISTORY:  We have identified a web of   diverse services providing a complementary array of health, education, faith and local human-service support services in the following sectors

SCHOOLS Local service providers of Day Care/Head start services the Islamic Cultural Center of North America, in the Bronx is a unique five-year school located in the targeted Sound view Community and public schools whose parents have experience with ACS.

MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER:  Council of Muballagh for America and the Caribbean, Int. (CMAC) a ten year community based mental health service with highly qualified professionals in marriage and family therapy uniquely able to serve the local mainstream, Muslim, and African communities especially as it relates to full implementation of ASFA law.

DEVELOPMENT & OUTREACH SPECIALIST: Action Advisers a community based consulting firm with broad experience advising houses of worship, non- profit and businesses in program structure and resource development.

FAITH-BASED / UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES: board members in the Bronx Clergy Task Force, .adviser to CONLICO a Latino Pentecostal Council, and the United African Congress (UAC)

ACS CONTRACTED AGENCIES, Agencies located in the neighborhood carrying adoption, foster care and family reunification cases will be offered our unique services complementing their own.   We expect the agencies will be willing to avail themselves of our transformative services.

COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS: Adopt-A- Friend a community based relationship building agency will broaden client networks, is dedicated to assisting individuals with the need to reenter their communities is the coordinating agency for the coalition and will work cooperatively with Solutions Within, Inc. a community based agency organized to serve neighborhood residents with a broad range of issues including foster / boarding concerns

We plan to include members from additional underrepresented faiths, local managers of public and private housing developments. Youth advocacy organizations, prison reentry programs, complementary public service agencies, and lastly, we plan to continue to strengthen our relationships with our police precincts, and publicly elected officials.

 

 

 

 

Strategies / Approaches

 

We will establish a clear process for funding distribution based on need and amount available.  We will encourage full participation in development of how we should implement our core programs. We will conduct regular group sharing of accomplishments facilitating group growth and cohesion.  We will actively prepare and submit proposals to foundations, RFP’s etc. We will request each member to refer a potential coalition member in order to grow our group.

 

Skills /Experiences & Competencies

 

 

Preliminary Goals

 

 

Why We Focused on These Priorities

 

We have had different experiences in the family stability field.  Our observations indicated that even with ACS’s increased attempts to become more community oriented, Gaps affecting families and especially children continued to exist.  Prior to this RFP, we began discussion and organized to provide complementary service to the “unintended victims” of social neglect and the foster care and child welfare system. We clearly observed that the system could not help everybody and those who were sometimes helped walked away traumatized and defeated needed more post-ACS help than was being offered in their communities.

 

Consequently, we were pleasantly surprised when ACS offered this timely RFP to in its words, “Transform how its members practice child welfare with families.”  We were most encouraged with the RFP’s apt statement, “To rethink and re-orient the manner in which child welfare is conducted.”  Specifically this RFP would help us implement our vision to help foster care and child welfare systems more readily meet ASFA law requirements, in our target communities. 

 

 

Coalition Strategies or Approaches

 

In order form any coalitions to work effectively, their members have to “buy-in” to its vision and they need to prepare to dedicate resources toward this new venture (Strategy-Structure-Staff- and Systems).  Our development consultant, Action Advisers will reach out, organize, and conduct team building among the coalition participants.  In addition, the project team will confirm its objectives and devise evaluation indices and processes.

A project agenda and plan will be developed for approval by the top decision makers in the partnership and each will be facilitated to develop an appropriate, flexible and empowered project management interface for this project.  Action Advisers staff under the auspices of Adopt-A- Friend will function as the coalition’s project manager.

 

Fiscal Agent

 

Adopt-A-Friend, Inc. will serve as the fiscal agent for the project.  It will contract with an appropriate fiscal professional to maintain auditable records of all financial transactions and after discussion with the coalition, eventually codify fiscal procedures understandable and approved by all. 

 

Benefits

 

 

ﺔﯿﻟﺎﻤﺸﻟﺍﺎﻜﯾﺮﻣﺄﺑﻲﻣﻼﺳﻹﺍﻲﻓﺎﻘﺜﻟﺍﺰﻛﺮﻣﻟﺍ

Islamic Cultural Center of North America

 

2008 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, New York 10462

Tel: (718) 904-1111  Fax: (718) 239- 4234

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP SCHOOL

www.islamicleadershipschool.org

2008 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462

Phone: 718-239 8134 Fax: 718-239 4234

ASSALAMU ALAIKUM:

 Do you know there is an Islamic school in your neighborhood and you can transfer your children from public schools to this school anytime during school calendar year?

We offer:

 
School Location via MapQuest

 

Travel Directions

/# 6 train to 177 St. (Parkchester station) walk to 2008 Westchester Ave.

School is on the intersection of Westchester & Pugsley Avenues.

We are cordially inviting all parents to visit us, make Du’a (Supplication) and refer  friends, relatives and neighbors to this school.

Thank you!

ﺔﯿﻟﺎﻤﺸﻟﺍﺎﻜﯾﺮﻣﺄﺑﻲﻣﻼﺳﻹﺍﻲﻓﺎﻘﺜﻟﺍﺰﻛﺮﻣﻟﺍ

Islamic Cultural Center of North America

2008 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, New York 10462

Tel: (718) 904-1111 Fax: (718) 239- 4234

Programs and services

The center has started a new program called ‘Tea-Out-Stress’:

Every Friday between Juma’ah and Isha prayers the center provides tea and light refreshments to all brothers and sisters who come for networking, relaxation and Islamic socialization.

The center will start a program called ‘Meet My Imam’:

All the Imams in the Bronx and Harlem will be invited to meet and talk to the students.

The center has invented a new sport called ‘Sheikh’s Quartette’:

The game is a combination of Football and Baseball. It can be played indoors or outdoor, by men and women, adults and children. All are invited to come and participate or watch the game played.

The center has established a ‘Muslim/Jewish student dialogue’ through the Holocaust Museum in Manhattan: The atrocities on the Israel/Palestine Holy Land are not only human-rights violations but also an Islamic one.

The center has initiated a program called ‘Trees of Life’ last year.  The goal is to plant as many trees as the number of lives lost on 9/11, the school’s birthday.  The students will celebrate the school’s sixth anniversary this year by planting the first thirteen trees at the school.

The center has raised more funds from its program of ‘Sponsor-A-Classroom’ than from any other fundraising events held. Now it has a new program ‘Sponsor-A-Book’ for its library.  You can also sponsor a poor child’s education!

The center’s school tuition fees are competitively low. First child is $ 3500, 2nd child $3500, 3rd child $2500, 4th child $2000. After school and weekend programs are separate options. Students who attend the full academic year of 2005/06 and paid all their tuition fees will receive discounted fees.

The center is making it mandatory this year for all Islamic Leadership School students to participate in its ‘computer-at-home’ program.  All students will be connected online from home for weekly teleconferencing with different subjects, including leadership.

 The center encourages student participation to its Islamic Mutual Fund Investment Program. A return of more than 50% were realized in 2005 for students’ investments.  A $100 is required to open the account and a minimum monthly investment of $30.

 The center handles the student registration (1st –11th grade) for Islamic Leadership School for academic year 2006/2007. Adopt-A-Friend Child Development Center handles lower grades.  There is no guarantee of transportation for late registrants.

 The center is working on finalizing its proposed Islamic Federal Credit Union this year.

 The center is holding five daily prayers and English/Arabic Khutbahs on Fridays at its mosque, Masjid Al-Iman.

 The center is seeking a core volunteer group of individuals to assist students of the Islamic Leadership School to achieve excellence in their pursuit of knowledge. Tutoring creates a lifetime bond between a child and his/her tutor.  Because of this important relationship, a tutor is regarded as a role model. The center opens seven days a week including weekends and holidays.  The center is also seeking individuals with leadership to head various subsidiaries it has created.

All are invited to participate for these services and others not mentioned above.  Join us in building up a university.  Leaders make it happen albeit challenges.

Thank you!

 Islamic Cultural Center of North America 

Trees for Humanity

The World has always being made of opposites. While some build, others destroy, some laugh, others cry… a life of weddings and funerals, a life of births and deaths. On that fateful day, September 11, 2001 at about the same time when thousands of innocent souls were taken, a foundation was being laid for the first time in the Bronx, a full time Islamic school.

The Islamic Leadership School under the aegis of the Islamic Cultural Center of North America was established on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The school opened its doors with just thirteen students. It has been five blessed years since the journey began. Now the school operates from Pre K- Grade 12. The test scores of students on the New York State Standardized tests serve as the best testimony to the quality of education students are receiving at The Islamic Leadership School.

Our Mission at the Islamic Cultural Center of North America is to nurture multi-purpose Islamic faith based institutions capable of meeting the high demands and sophistication of the twenty first century and beyond.

Our objectives include response to the needs of providing Islamic and secular education in an environment conducive for learning; Building up capacity of the community through education and skills development to meet the challenges of an achieving society; fostering understanding between and among people of different culture, religion and nationalities for peaceful co-existence, and creating a community free of violence and hate.

We have always commemorated our anniversaries but we have decided to do the sixth year anniversary in a different way. We are embarking on a tree planting campaign –

Trees for Humanity.

We intend to plant as many trees as the number of innocent lives lost on 9/11 (Close to three thousand trees). As the school started with thirteen students, we are going to start the campaign with thirteen trees, which would be planted by these same pioneering students of the school on Monday, September 11, 2006 at the school premises in the Bronx. This will be done in collaboration with community leaders and various community organizations that have shown interest for this campaign.

Sponsors’ information would be provided and attached to the tree(s) as well as the list of those in whose memoriam the tree(s) is/are planted.

For individuals and organizations wishing to be part of this project can contact the Islamic Cultural Center of North America. @ 718-904-1111 Fax: 718- 239-4234 Or the Islamic Leadership School @ 718- 239-8134

Please join us as we plant our Trees for Humanity, trees of hope… Thank you!

 

ﺔﯿﻟﺎﻤﺸﻟﺍﺎﻜﯾﺮﻣﺄﺑﻲﻣﻼﺳﻹﺍﻲﻓﺎﻘﺜﻟﺍﺰﻛﺮﻣﻟﺍ

                                                                  ﻪﺘﺎﮐﺭﺑﻭ ﷲﺍ ﺔﻤﺣﺭﻭ ﻡﻛﻴﻟﻋ ﻢﻼﺴﻟﺍ

9/25/2005

Re: Relocation of the Islamic Leadership School

    The Islamic Leadership School started out at 2044 Benedict Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462. This location also houses a Mosque and a community food pantry. Right from the inception of the school, the founders knew that this place would only serve as a temporary location for the Islamic Leadership School. This was due to many obvious reasons. The building was not originally designed to be a school hence it lacked the adequate space for many activities which must be part of a school. This had been hampering the academic, extra curricular and other activities in the school. Most importantly, we had a mission to serve in providing good quality education in line with the standards of the New York State Board of Education.

 

Facilities

At 2044 Benedict Avenue;

 

  1. There was not enough space to accommodate the growing number of students.

 

  1. There was the need to expand rest rooms but there just wasn’t room for that.

 

  1. Apart from conveniences, we needed to have computer and science laboratories but this was only a dream as there was no room.

 

  1. Children need a lot of exercising and running around to development their psychomotor skills. The only space available for this was a car park which was filled with cars. The students had to resort to going to the public park which was about four blocks away from the school.

 

  1. Basically, enrollment did not improve due to these obvious reasons. Most parents who came to inspect the school premises expressed their concerns. They would rather wait till the school was properly housed before they could enroll their children.

 

The relocation of the school became very necessary as its success depends on the quality of well rounded education it provides. Also, it was imminent that we had to take action to improve our accommodation this school year, or we were bound to have problems of serious consequences to the survival of the school; especially, massive withdrawal of students by parents who could no longer bear with us. A school without students is as good as extinct.

 

The Islamic Leadership School is the only full time Muslim School in the Bronx. About 50,000 (fifty thousand) Muslims reside in this part of the city. We knew that we would not be able to achieve our objectives and fulfill our mission if we stayed at 2044 Benedict Avenue. We were left with no other choice but to relocate to 2008 Westchester Avenue also in the Bronx.

 

The New Location

 

The capacity of this facility is such that we have adequate space and enough rooms to accommodate:

ü      more students, 

ü      computer and science laboratories,

ü      a library,

ü      an auditorium/ dinning hall, 

ü      space for sports activities especially, physical education,

ü      rooms for teachers,

ü      a language lab,

ü      more bathrooms for a larger student population.

 

This new location has a lot of advantages.

 

  1. Increased enrollment and higher student population projected at 500% increase. The parents who have been anxiously waiting for us to have proper space and facilities would now have the opportunity to bring their children.

 

  1. An increased enrollment subsequently leads to higher revenue from tuition which would help in the financial sustainability of the school.

 

  1. The computer laboratory would definitely help us improve our educational instructions and our Muslim children would not be missing out in the quest for excellence in the information technology world.

 

  1. The Science laboratory would also help in the teaching of science, especially for the high school students.

 

  1. A well equipped library is something every school should have. This present location would afford us the opportunity to have this dream come true.

 

  1. This new location is also one block away from the East Tremont Park, which has a soccer and a baseball field.

 

  1. It is also around the corner from a Public Library.

 

  1. Crotona Park, which is one of the largest parks in the city, is three blocks away from the school.

 

  1. The world-famous New York Botanical garden and Bronx Zoo are a few blocks away from our new location.

 

  1. The neighborhood is occupied mainly by houses of worship and schools.

 

  1. The building meets the fire and safety standards specified by law.

 

  1. There is additional space at the building for future expansion.

 

  1. Apart form providing educational services to the Muslim community and beyond, this facility would also afford us the opportunity to serve the community in many other aspects which we have legal capacity to provide:

     

    o       Women Health Care Services- an in house medical and health services for women in collaboration with the New York Department of Health.

     

    o       English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for adults who need the services.

     

    o       A Day Care Center licensed by the New York State.

     

    o       A comprehensive After School Program specifically designed to meet the needs of the Muslim child.

      

Every endeavor needs to be supported in some form. Our most pressing need is financial.

Presently, we have a relatively low population of students, which Insha Allah will increase once we start to operate at this location. Within this low population, we have special student body, which comprise of children from very humble homes, who need financial help. Some are new Muslims who have just entered the Deen and need the financial help to keep their children in an Islamic environment to help them in their Islamic upbringing.

 

We would very much appreciate any form of financial assistance you or your organization can render to us. Our present location is part of a dream of getting the one and only full time Islamic School in the Bronx, the Islamic Leadership School on its path to being at par with the public and private schools in terms of physical structure and infrastructure. This way, we would be a viable alternative for every Muslim Family who lives in the Bronx and beyond. Insha Allah, at this site the school would be the pride of the Muslim Ummah.

 

Sister Khadijah Onanuga

         General Secretary

                                                                                    ﺍﺮﻴﺧ ﷲﺃ ﻢﮐﺍﺯ ﺟ

2008 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462   Tel: (718) 904-1111  Fax: (718) 239- 4234