Young Adult Career Readiness & Empowerment (EmpoweReer)

   Grow Your Skills & Get a Jump Start on  Your Career


The Young Adult Career Readiness & Empowerment Summer program (EmpoweReer) is an innovative  internship program designed to empower young adults ages 13 through 21 with the skills and leadership qualities necessary to pursue competitive career opportunities, whatever they may be. 

The program includes a mix of proficiency, service learning, and experimental training via indoor workshops along with outdoor activities and field trips and a hands-on internship. 

Participants will meet three times a week for 3 hours, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM, including an onboarding 3-hour orientation session for participants and parents or loved ones where participants will share their goals for the program.

The program concludes with a 3-hour graduation ceremony where participants will give presentations on what they have learned, and accomplished along with their future plans. This program is an introductory experience that feeds into other more specialized career programs including Grad2Careers.

Coaches

Ayman Nassar, M.Sc, PMP, ACP

Founder of Islamic Leadership Institute of America (ILIA), and Youth Crisis Line, with over 30+ years of experience youth and leadership development and business transformation and project portfolio management. He holds a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and a second Masters degree in Engineering Management & Systems Engineer and several leadership & management certificates. As director of EmpoweReer program he oversees the academic portion and learning experience of the participants.

Mahmoud Aboelroos, B.Sc. PMP

Mahmoud brings over 10 years of IT and project management experience in multiple sectors including technology consulting, federal government and nonprofits. As a technology advisor, Mahmoud helped to implement technology and strategy solutions. Mahmoud is an ITIL v4 Foundation® certified and certified ScrumMaster, and is currently a Health Informatics Program Manager at the FDA helping the agency utilize technology to streamline and improve the regulatory drug review process. He held numerous roles in youth development organizations including MIST and ILIA serving as coach, judge and instructor, and a former ILIA board member from 2010-2011.

Bahaa Harraz, B.Sc.

Started his engagement with ILIA while in 6th grade, attending ILIA's young men's circle. In 2017, while a senior in year high school Bahaa became an active volunteer, chaperoning with the organization at ILIA's Middle School Entrepreneurship course, he then joined the Internship program as a Project Manager. In 2018 he was promoted to Youth Council President, and then in 2019 to President of the organization. He is a Computer Science graduate of University of Maryland, College Park Maryland, and a Quantum Physics researcher.

Yomna Nassar, B.Sc

Has been with the organization since she was 9, over the years she became a student, volunteer, intern and vice president. A recent graduate of University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Global Health and Development. She has a passion for helping others and mentoring and empowering younger females.

Mohamed French, B.Sc.

ILIA's digital transformation leader and a long time member of the organization since the age of 11. Mohamed coaches participants on technology, business analysis and technology systems. He also provides technology support for students' projects. He is a graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Information Systems.

Contact Us

We'd love to hear from you, so feel free to drop us a line

Program funded by Baltimore Summer Collaborative, a partnership between public, private and nonprofit organizations that supports high-quality summer programs serving children and youth.