Tariq Nelson

Dr. Zayd Abdul-Karim lives here in NoVa and has established a program for youth called “Rising Stars” to help motivate youth to become productive citizens. He is an author, motivational speaker and sometimes speaks at Dar Al Hijrah . He is an integral part of the community here and will be posting on this site from time to time, Insha Allah. We share the goal of inspiring the youth (and others) to strive for excellence and to create a great and positive legacy. He wrote about his program below…

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DID YOU KNOW? “…nearly 1 out of 3 public high school students won’t graduate…For Latinos and African Americans the rate approaches an alarming 50%.”  This is reported by Nathan Thornburgh in his article titled “Dropout Nation,” Time Magazine, April 27, 2006, pp. 30-40.          

Education and learning are major keys for personal and professional development.  The impact of such high dropout rates will be dramatic for these individuals and our nation, especially in the global economy.  How are we to meet this challenge and fulfill our responsibility to prepare the next generation?  It’s time to focus more on building self-leadership among our youth in a systematic process.  The Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program is a proven system designed to produce behavior change and results in all life areas.          

Since 2002, I’ve worked with approximately 400 youth to develop their self-leadership capabilities.  The results have been outstanding for some of the graduates of this program.  For example, four years ago several public school students were struggling with low performance and were about to be transitioned out of school.  While taking the Rising Stars program, one 10^th grader raised her grade point average from 1.7 to 3.2 during the third advisory or grading period.  She maintained her excellence during her junior and senior years and received a scholarship to college. 

          Since that experience, dozens of C students have become honor roll students.  Some have even qualified for National Honor Society status.  In addition to increased grade point averages, participants are reducing at-risk behaviors and 75% of graduates are attending college.  How are these types of results possible?  Unlike other programs, this leadership process focuses more on changing patterns of attitudes and behaviors to produce results.          

In order for anyone to improve their results, they must change their behaviors.  There is no other way.  Yet, when we think of behavior change, most people resist it.  Therefore, we need help.  The first shift is related to the assumptions we make about knowledge and skills.  Most of us believe knowledge and skills are the end all and “be” all of everything.  It’s easy, yet, not nearly enough to say: “I know I should change my behavior.”  For most of us, it’s difficult to actually do what we know we should do.  What keeps us from doing what we know is in our best interest?  Mostly it’s our attitudes or internal feelings and perceptions that block our progress.  Therefore, attitude development and goal achievement must be learned and practiced in addition to gaining knowledge and developing skills.   

          Unfortunately, most people – youth and adults – were conditioned to develop negative attitudes early in life.  One of the first words the baby learns to say is NO.  Why?  They hear it all the time.  Developing new attitudes will require a reconditioning.  Youth will improve their performance once they feel better about themselves.  All adults have a role to play in helping youth feel better.  However, this change must start with adults reconditioning their negative attitudes, as well.          

Based on my experience, here are five tips for developing self-leadership among youth: 

1. Help youth develop positive attitudes about themselves and others.  Internal feelings and perceptions are more powerful than knowledge.
2. Help youth learn to define and focus activity on their own specific, measurable, and predetermined goals.
3. Help youth apply time management strategies to take action daily toward reaching their goals.
4. Build self-leadership by acknowledging positive accomplishments and strengthening their strengths.
5. Track progress and keep a record of daily achievements.