Building Community
with Knowledge, in Peace.
Mentors for Academic and Peer Support is an outreach project at UCLA founded in 2000. Recognizing the tremendous impact certain education policies have on communities of color, MAPS developed as a means of increasing access to institutions historically barring students of color. Comprised of three components – Ummah, Ilm and Salam – MAPS focuses on making a difference through community building, peer advising and advocating for academic growth.
Ummah – Community Building
Broken up into volunteer involvement, parent engagement and the MAPS internship, our first component places people power at its forefront. Collaborating with UCLA volunteers and parents allows us to develop stronger relationships with our students and gives MAPS a sense of community.
Salam – Peer Advising
Comprised of student empowerment, identity building and goal setting, our second component allows students access to peer advising. Students paired with a MAPS mentor are provided with the space for personal growth and development. Strengthening relationships is a key part of this component.
Ilm - Academic Growth & Success
Our third component includes subject specific tutoring, skill building workshops and higher education awareness. Students are allowed access to countless resources and can work one-on-one with UCLA volunteers on a regular basis. MAPS also provides a variety of Field Trips and opportunities for our students.
Our Sites
Look out for our services in your community in South LA, Hawthorne, and Torrance!
This year MAPS sites range from middle school to community college. Our Islah and MAPS Academy sites are primarily catered to middle school students and focus on student development and preparation for high school. Our new El Camino Community College site is catered to providing additional support for students to successfully transfer and continue their education.
Student Testimonials
“MAPS aims to inspire and help youth create a voice. MAPS is like a second family, they help raise you to become the best person you can be.”
— Kai, 10th Grade, MAPS Academy
“MAPS definitely helped me in my college application journey immensely. They helped me realize what I wanted from a school and were always cheering me on. I got to meet students with a plethora of different majors, and they helped me understand what I wanted and what I was looking for.”
— Noor, MAPS Alum, MAPS Academy
“MAPS helps with math a lot. I really like the activities because they make learning fun (superhero activity, for example).”
— Aanisah, 7th Grade, ISLAH Academy
Spotlight on Past Events
College Day
May 20th | 11 AM-10 PM
This annual event, hosted by UCLA’s MSA, invites Muslim students from Los Angeles to join undergraduate students on campus for a fun day of workshops, mentorship and encouragement to pursue higher education.
The Luminaries
Feb 16th | 6-8 PM
A gallery of resistance and expression by the students of Islah Academy in which the artwork was created over several MAPS sites.
Connect with us
Please email any questions, comments, or concerns to maps.ucla@gmail.com.
We are always one click away!