Lab Programming
Lab Programming
What are Labs?
An experienced-based learning opportunity where a group of students is mentored by a professional to develop an initiative on a societal issue.
The student is able to apply what they learned in a real world setting, and making an actual impact in society.
It is a 4 week lab, where students use project management to make their own initiative and roll it out.
Previous APPL Labs
Advocating for the Rights of Palestinian Children
For the Summer 2020 Cohort Lab, ILIA students worked with Freedom2BoycottMD to fight for the Rights of Palestinian Children on Capitol Hill. The students produced research on the treatment of children in both Gaza and the West Bank, and met with congresspeople on bills HR2407 and HR8050.
Students created a project plan detailing their activities, mission, vision, KPIs, etc. They also single-handedly created reports in use for meetings with congressional staffers.
Understanding the Prison Industrial Complex
For the Summer 2020 Cohort Lab, Aging People in Prison- Human Rights Campaign (APP-HRC) hosted a curriculum on the prison industrial system and how to tackle it. Students went through a 4 week seminar with multiple guest speakers and personalized readings. For their final projects, the students created a project plan on an aspect they can change to fight against this system.
See their work at our graduation ceremony (start at 24:24)
Hindutva & America
As part of the APPL Intern/Mentor program, 5 students developed Hindutva & America, a 78 page publication that’s aimed at educating the general public, organizations, and public servants about serious issues affecting minorities in India, and their ability to exercise their religious freedom rights. It outlines the ideology of Hindutva, an ideology focused on adapting Hinduism to a Western Nationalist model.
It is a 78 page report with over 80+ sources, developed over the span of 3 months. The first edition was released in March 2020.
The Hidden Ummah
As part of the APPL Intern/Mentor program, two students hosted the Hidden Ummah, a community forum on Islam & the Incarcerated Community. Co-Hosted with Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign (APPHRC), it touched on important topics such as finding Islam while incarcerated, the role of oppression in the prison system, and the barriers towards reintegration.
The panel consisted of: Tyronne Morton, the National Advisor for APPHRC who himself found Islam while incarcerated; Imam Bilal Prather, who works as a Muslim Chaplain for prisons in D.C.; Dr. Maha Hilal, the co-Director of Justice for Muslims Collective; Dr. Acklyn Lynch, a professor on Carribean Studies; and Nabihah Maqbool, a legal fellow with Muslim Advocates. Tomiko Shine, the founding director of APPHRC, served as the moderator.
The event also served as the official launch for the APPL track at ILIA. The track focuses on developing and mentoring youth as they navigate the public sphere, as well as advocating for issues relating to not only Muslim Americans, but Americans as a whole.
The panel opened with a discussion on the word hidden. Prather laughed, saying the term was funny to him “because it’s not hidden to us.” However, he remained optimistic about the event, which felt was a long overdue conversation and a signal that we are in the middle of a shift. Dr. Hilal; however, felt “Some of these prisoners are literally out of sight, out of mind,” she stated. No one wants to advocate for them, rendering them invisible in the community.
As the discussion continued, one theme emerged: Fear. Shine emphasized the urgency of addressing this phenomenon stating “abuse continues as long as there is fear.” Overcoming this fear begins with the abolition of the antiquated mindset that sustains the prison industrial complex, noted Mauri’ Saalakhan, Director of Operations of Peace Thru Justice. Dr. Hilal added to this notion, mentioning that getting beyond fear also requires “undoing these problematic ahistorical narratives in order to shift the system.” She maintained that it is incumbent upon Muslims to know about their history and the narratives of incarcerated Muslims.
Among the audience were youth, educators, and members of the community who had themselves been incarcerated. One such person was James Lambert, who was incarcerated for 35 years, 33 of which he spent on death row. Now home for 14 months, Lambert said he came out because he was “here now trying to make things right.”
Most everyone agreed that this dialogue will serve as an impetus for continued conversations and the uncovering of narratives of incarcerated Ummah. Ayman Nassar, Founder of ILIA, echoed this sentiment. Noting that the event was developed entirely by youth, he remains hopeful the youth can and will change the narrative.