August1,2013 IANT Youth (Islamic Association of North Texas Youth)wasofficiallystartedinMayof2010 to cater to the growing needs of the youth community

ty in Richardson, TX and the surrounding North Texas areas. Youth who are attending school anywhere from middle school tothecollegeoruniversity level require nourishment for the soul and body that can only be found in a vibrant and strong community. IANT Youth intends to serve those needs, as well as adapt and grow to create a fun, energizing,positive,andrefreshingyouthculture. IANT Youth began 2013 accepting applications for our Youth council. Bringing fresh minds onboard allows us to achieve larger and greater things, and created a more diverse council to serve a diverse community. The number of youth that applied were great, a significant increase from our first recruitment in 2010. It has become apparent that IANT Youth is positively impacting lives around DFW,andmanyteenagerswishtonowbedirectlyinvolvedinthisrewardingendeavour. Our first official event, Open Gym and Youth Lounge, was a weekly event that lasted from late February to early April. Every Friday, over 100 kids wouldarriveattheRichardsonMosque.The night would start off with the kids praying Maghrib, the prayer immediately after sunset. Then, the would all rush to the gym to have friendly competitions in sports especially Basketball. The Youth Lounge would alsobeopenedupandfeatureappropriatevideogames,suchas MaddenorNBA,and many Youth would take turn challenging each other in dramatic matches. Afterwards, some light refreshments would be served, such as pizza and juice, and the night would end with the kids praying Isha, the last prayer of the day. Thiseventgreatlypromotedcommunalvalues,especiallyteamwork.It wasagreatwaytoendastressfulschoolweek. InearlyMay,thecouncilhosted,NotAfraidtoStandAlone.VisitingImamandscholarKhalil AbdurRashid spoke on the stillprevalent issue of racism and discrimination in America. His lecture was extremely optimistic and uplifting, and focused on strengthening ones identity and confidence. Many Youth showed up to the event and were activelyengagedwiththespeaker,especiallyduringthe questionandanswersession. After Not Afraid to Stand Alone, IANT Youth began planning for our most busiest time of the year, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Beginning in early July and ending on August 8, the councilhostedthreespectacularevents. During Ramadan, Muslims are required to fast from sunrise until sunset, being permitted to eat during the night hours. The council decided to host the predawnmeal.CalledSuhoor,arrangements

were made for over 90 kids to eat together at a local IHOP. It was pleasing to see so many kids enjoyingamealtogetherwithboththeirMuslimandnonMuslimfriendsandcommunitymembers. Towards the middle of Ramadan, the council hosted an Iftar andPotluckdinnerwithnationally renowned scholars, Omar Suleiman and Gary Shaheed. The Iftar is the postsunset meal, and over 450 people arrivedat theMosquetoattendtheevent!Therewasdeliciousfoodfromallovertheworld Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, America, to name a few countries. Besides the food, the talkitselfwasmagnificent,andenjoyedbybothadultsandkids. To end our Ramadan lineup, the council hosted on of our most famous events the AllNighter. Taking place in the Mosque from after Isha to Fajr (the morning prayer), over 75 kids showed up to participate in refreshing talks, sports activities, team building exercises, and a communal Suhoor catered by Waffle House. It was a truly gratifying end to a fun yet spiritual chain of Ramadan events. The IANT Youths events, though geared towards Muslim youth, have positive universal messages that can be applied to anyone. Morality, honor, compassion thesevaluesarejustaglimpse at what this organization aims to instill in our fellow Youth. The council itself is run by dedicated members ranging from being High School to University students. They aim to give back to a spirited community that has already given them so much. It is uplifting to see such a strong, communal bondat work. Whilecouncilmembersmayplanandexecuteevents,itistheyouththatparticipateandtheadults thatsupportthatmakesoureffortssuccessfulandenriching. To learn more about our pograms, pleasefeelfreetovisitusonthewebatwww.iantyouth.org, orconnectwithusonFacebook,atwww.facebook.com/iantyouth.

~ ShayanGaziani DirectorofTechnology IANTYouth

IANT Youth Summer 2013 Report by Shayan AttributionNonCommercialNoDerivs3.0UnportedLicense. Gaziani is licensed under a Creative Commons