Many people ask us what is the difference between the Sunday School and FNO?

Sunday School is a mini school in itself. It has grades, and students move up one grade every year. Each grade has a set curriculum which builds upon the curriculum of the previous grade. The lesson plans cover the curriculum and at the end of the semester students take comprehensive exams. There are designated text books for each subject in each grade.

On the other hand FNO is a youth halaqa. The classes are more of mentoring sessions. They are interactive and students and teachers have discussions on a given topic. The topics vary. Teachers listen to students and parents when deciding the topics. The classes are called ‘groups’ and they include students in more than one grades (usually 2 years spread), so students don’t necessarily move up every year. There is no set curriculum and groups do variety of activities in-class or outdoors, e.g. sports sessions, arts and craft, volunteering at off-site locations etc. There are no comprehensive exams at the end of the semester. Although the curriculum is not fixed, the topics are Islamic or related to contemporary issues to our youth. All topics are discussed in age-appropriate manner, so the same topic can be used in more than one groups but the depth will vary based on age levels. Emphasis is on having fun, building friendship with other students, enjoying the Masjid environment and of course learn something new about the religion. We don’t have set curriculums but expect to have all students learn good manners, basic tenets of Islam, and Islamic life in general.

So, Sunday School and FNO are not substitutes for each other. Both have different goals and methods. You can choose from the variety of programs including Sunday School and FNO, and also ICEV Qur’an school, as well as youth programs in other Masjids.