WMHS Ramadan Prayer Room
In 2016, a group of students at Woburn Memorial High School, supported by SCI AmeriCorps members and teachers, held a student dialogue on race and diversity. One discussion is clearly not enough, which these young leaders realized quickly, and the Woburn High embRACE Club was formed. embRACE continues to be a thriving group of youth passionate about social and racial justice. SCI has enjoyed partnering with the Club’s student leaders over the years.
In celebration of the start of Ramadan, we are sharing the words of one of our current SCI student interns, Kafui, about a recent embRACE project at the High School!
As a student leader of embRACE, one of our missions this year to help foster inclusion was to create a prayer room in Woburn Memorial High School for Ramadan. The proposal which was approved by Principal Steve Martin, has allowed for the prayer room to be used by Muslim students who observe Ramadan. It will be open from Thursday, March 23rd through Friday, April 14th, 2023 during 7th period (1:00-1:51 PM).
The prayer room could not come into fruition without the passion from my fellow embRACE student leader, Kamilia Bezzat who is a senior and a Muslim student at WMHS. The idea first came alive during her junior year Civics Project as a proposal for an inclusive Reflection Space for all students, but will initially begin as a prayer room during Ramadan this March and April in hopes to expand into a year round reflection space.
Kamilia shared that, “Piloting this room during Ramadan will benefit Muslim students and help them focus on their studies without sacrificing the practices of their faith. I hope students at WMHS who practice their faith during the school day will appreciate and utilize this room.”
We are all grateful for the support from the embRACE club, our advisor Mrs. Amy Cardoso, Principal Steve Martin, and the Woburn community.
Donations from the community at Kamilia’s local mosque— NAFIS Boston Center, have funded much of the furnishings for the prayer space.
