Teachers and Students Express Their Enthusiasm
About ING Presentations and Panels

Reviewing the amazing feedback we’ve receive from teachers (who are 45% of our clients for ING presentations) always reignites my enthusiasm about working for this organization. We know we’re making an impact. A teacher shares:

“I look forward to working with you and the Islamic Speakers Bureau again. The work you do is making our understanding of the beautiful diversity of our world, our nation and our community so much more meaningful.”

Many teachers have shared their sentiment that ING speakers have not only been instructional for the students but also enhanced the teacher’s ability to bring the topic to life. A teacher writes:

“The speakers do a good job of clearing up stereotypes and misconceptions. The kids can see a Muslim person and hear that the speakers don’t have an accent or aren’t that different than they are, and that helps reinforce that Muslims are ordinary people. The guest speaker is invaluable. The students really like asking questions of a “real Muslim” (even the Muslim kids take that perspective) and what the speaker says often sticks better than what they read out of the textbook.”

Students express similar appreciation for the opportunity to interact face-to-face with a real, live Muslim. One of the most common responses we hear from students is that the speakers changed their perceptions of Muslims and their faith after such an interaction.  A student remarks:

“I am grateful that I was able to learn more about the beliefs and practices of Muslims. It was interesting to learn about them from someone who actually is Muslim because I knew you were being truthful about the religion. I’ve heard many different things about Islam, but after you spoke to the class, I realized I’d been misinformed. It was nice to know that Islam is a very peaceful religion. In the past, I had heard otherwise and your lesson was very helpful for me to learn how your religion is really practiced.”

ING interfaith panels likewise encourage audiences to overcome stereotyping and prejudice. Here’s a comment from a student:

“My views have changed about all religions. I’ve come to understand that we share similar values. We may have different traditions and practices but as humans we have the same core values. The member of the Islamic religion cleared up many of the stereotypes about his religion. He did a great job of explaining that we’re not very different.”

Please consider making a year-end donation to ING today to help us continue our important work of education and community engagement while preventing hate and bullying in schools. Learn more here.

Henry Millstein
ING Program Manager