Vision
Al-Mahdi Madressah will deliver best-in-class, engaging, and continuing religious education to Shia youth in Edmonton.
Aims and Objectives
- Create an engaging learning environment for students that is reinforced through activities, community events, and fun.
- Support our teachers in delivering a standardized curriculum with active administrative support, best-in-class resources, and a willingness to go above-and-beyond the four walls of the Madressah.
- Foster strong partnerships with parents to create a continuous and consistent learning cycle at madressah and at home.
- Ensure every student achieves excellence in performing salaat and Qur’an recitation.
- Inspire students to continue to give back to the Madressah and community during their studies and long after they have graduated.
History
The Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Association in Edmonton was formed in 1976, with the current building formally opened in 1982. Informal madressah tuition started at this time, with a more formal structure evolving in the late-1980s.
Structure
- All administrators and teachers are volunteers. The Administration Team is comprised Principal, Vice-Principal, Teachers Coordinator, and Administrators-at-Large. Teachers have the option of teaching one or both of Dinyat and Qur’an.
- We offer a dedicated preschool program for children aged 2-4 that uses applicable nursery rhymes, arts-and-crafts, and games.
- Dinyat studies are offered to students aged 5 and older. Class assignments are typically done based on age and comprehension.
- Qur’an classes are separated by offered to students aged 5 and older. Qur’an classes are organized by skill level and include recitation and tafseer. A remedial class has been setup to provide dedicated support to older students who are not meeting expectations.
Future Plans
- Create increased standardization in curriculum delivery and support.
- Increasingly leverage technology in the classroom (including laptops and tablets) and external resources (including Qur’an teaching support and speakers) to create an integrated learning experience.
- Develop more comprehensive teachers training to better support new, existing, and prospective teachers.
Challenges
- Identifying enough administrators and teachers that can regularly teach and support.
- Active parent engagement and consistent attendance.
- Physical space constraints to accommodate all levels of classes.
