Scholarship Programme



Muslim Youthwork Foundation Scholarship Programme


**APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday 19th December 2008**


MYWF is offering scholarships on the following programme to train Muslim people as youth workers on any NYA professionally validated course.

The programme aims to offer practical opportunities in the development and professional training of Muslim youth workers with additional support and expertise from the MYWF.

In order to apply for the scholarship programme you must meet the following criteria:

1. Your programme of study is one of the following:

  • Dip HE: two years full time and part time equivalent, some employment based.
  • Foundation Degree: two years full time or part time equivalent, employment based.
  • BA (hons): three years full time and part time equivalent.
  • PG Cert / PG Dip: one year full time and part time equivalent
  • MA: one year and part time equivalent

The MYWF scholarship programme can only be offered to those that are currently undertaking a professional qualification that has been professionally validated by The National Youth Agency (NYA).

3. That you commit to the following:

  • Attendance at training events.
  • An agreement to complete the course.
  • Submit reports on programmes and projects.
  • Provide information on numbers of young people worked with and on the issues worked on.
  • Scholars will be required to include support for individuals and work with small groups.
  • Each scholar will be required to work with 20 young people in each academic year.


Providing positive alternative activities

Scholars on the programme will be invited to contribute to the MYWF website with particular emphasis on the development of multi media projects that include: Faces and Places Gallery, Witness and Borderlines

The MYWF will support and provide mechanisms for the scholars to access expertise, advise and resources in the development and contribution of the following positive activities for Muslim young people.

Faces and Places
Faces and Places is an ongoing project, which enables young Muslims to use visuals rather than words to explore their identity. The artwork explores issues such as exclusion, belonging, discrimination, religion, ethnic heritage and foreign policy. The initiative has been designed with the aim to tackle stereotypes that have been created about young Muslim people. It also aims to promote an increased involvement of young people within arts and culture.

Witness
The project involves the creation of short videos in which young people become witnesses to the reality of being young and Muslim in Britain and give evidence of this experience.

The aims of Witness are to:

  • To reveal the factors that affect our quality of life and life chances.
  • Develop an arena for us to talk about experiences of belonging in Britain and our religious Muslim identity.
  • Connect faces to a voice.
  • Witness is a platform for a direct response by young people to every day realities and out of the ordinary events.
  • To celebrate achievement and to voice problems faced by Muslim young people and those living in Muslim neighbourhoods.

Borderlines
This is an online archive, which is updated on a regular basis. It has a simple but very effective approach in dealing with difficulties and situations that arise in the delivery of youth work with Muslim young people. It creates a platform for young people to effectively engage and talk through the medium of writing and allows opportunity for others to respond to this voice. A key demand that emerged from those that attended the national conferences on Muslim Youth Work was on how they as youth work practitioners, managers and policy makers could be connected to critical thinking and perspectives in relation to Muslim young people and community in order that they can better inform their policy and practice. There is an absence of this narrative in ‘professional public spaces’ whether in journals, magazines and organizations that comprises perspectives and narratives that could inform this field.

(For more information about the detail of these projects please see the Projects page on the MYWF website).

Support for scholars

In addition to the above positive activities this programme will offer the following to the scholars:

  • Access to training on Muslim specific issues/ matters.
  • Provide adequate support networks for scholars to ensure retention.
  • Provide a model that can be replicated and used by other organisations.
  • To meet at a national level with other Youth work scholars on the programme.
  • A small dedicated budget for the development of taking forward work that promotes positive alternative activities to Muslim young people.
  • Offering scholars additional support for the fieldwork requirements that forms part of their training.
  • The MYWF will deliver one workshop in each academic year on the development of working with Muslim young people and the impact of faith and spirituality on Muslim identity.
  • Hold two national support events for the scholars each academic year in order to offer support, map activity and initiatives.

Download MYWF Scholarship Programme Application Form >>

Download MYWF Scholarship Programme Information >>