Our Impact
IAAB represents, embraces, and celebrates the diversity of the Iranian-American community in its ethos and in each of its programs. Read what others have to say about IAAB and its impact in their lives and communities.
read what our community says about us
Experts
hamid naficy, professor, northwestern university
"In IAAB, the young generation are 'saying that they are here, they belong here, they have a stake in the US, and have the right to speak and to shape society. No apologies or defensiveness for being Iranian or American.'"
mahdis keshavarz, principal, the make agency
"The Iranian-American community has never produced an organization that has made me more proud and hopeful for our future than IAAB. IAAB creates in each of us a sense of pride which helps makes us better, more compassionate and integrated members of global society. It has given everyone who has participated a sense of home and community which couldn't be duplicated outside the diaspora.
I first attended an IAAB conference as a (relatively) young person and nearly 10 years later, I plan on continuing to support them into old age"
neda maghbouleh, professor, university of toronto
"IAAB is a visionary organization led by visionary thinkers. In just [about] a decade-- through original programming, academic conferences, artistic exhibitions, educational initiatives, and more-- IAAB has fulfilled a crucial gap within our global Iranian community. Led with integrity and ingenuity, the organization demonstrates limitless potential and remains invaluable to our future and future generations to come.
Camp Ayandeh is the single most comprehensive and impactful program for Iranian-heritaged youth today. It is both rigorous and playful, serious about its long-term goals yet nimble and inclusive of new people, new ideas, and new concerns. By redressing the lack of curriculum on Iranian history and culture in American schools, Camp Ayandeh also boldly addresses issues of identity and equity as they affect youth in our multi-generational community. For over seven years, camp participants have demonstrated that the social bonds they create in one week go on to outlast the boundaries of distance and time. All of us-- former campers, counselors, and staff alike-- come away with a new level of trust, ability, and commitment to improving the world around us. We are knit into a bigger and stronger Iranian-American family."
Youth
Arman s, 15
“Growing up in a town and going to school without a single Iranian my age made it easy to completely forget about my background, and the occasional conversation in Farsi with grandparents became the only link I had remaining to my heritage. When I came to IAAB’s Summer Leadership Institute in 2011 and met hundreds of Iranians from around the country, my ethnic community suddenly felt a lot bigger, more fun, and more interesting. These are the friends that became my family in just a little over a week.”
afshin n, 17
Ayandeh has been life-changing for me. As I finish up my third summer, I am a completely new person. I am smarter, more confident, and have stronger leadership roles within the Iranian-American community. I can’t wait to apply for the counselor position next summer and continue my involvement with Ayandeh and IAAB.”
Ariana M, 15
“Camp Ayandeh was my first time participating in anything relating to my cultural background. Coming in, I had no idea what to expect. Now that I’m leaving, I can confidently say that I have never had such a fun, exciting, unique experience in my life. These memories will always stay with me and I’m more proud to call all these new people my brothers and sister. Ayandeh has become my second home.“
kian r, 16
“I identify in many ways as an American, but some qualities about my culture and persona were difficult to rationalize into an American identity. Here at Camp Ayandeh, I can reconcile these two parts of my personality and ultimately find myself…Through it, IAAB has built an international, multilingual, and diverse community linked by its commonly misunderstood heritage.”
Rodd f, 16
“Camp Ayandeh has honestly changed my life. It has also changed the way I look at my Iranian heritage. ”
Maana m, 15
“Camp Ayandeh changed my life. I’m not even exaggerating when I say this. I learned so much from the people, from the workshops, and overall from the general IAAB community in this one week that I’ve spent at camp. Everyone’s talent, passion, and kindness here inspires me more than what I can express in words. I now know that no matter what, I will always have my Ayandeh family as a support for the rest of my life.“