MPV's Progressive Islam Curriculum Live Workshop - Unit 1

Muslims for Progressive Values is excited to bring to our community the Progressive Islam Curriculum Live Workshop with Kendra Cordova, educator, MPV Board Member, and the brilliant mind behind our Youtube Series, MPV with Kendra. 

The first workshop in the series will cover Unit 1 of the Progressive Islam Curriculum, "What is Islam?", which seeks to address the ever evolving answers to the question “What Is Islam?". Through participation in this workshop, participants will be taken through a journey from Pre-Islamic Arabia, to the introduction of Islam to the Arabs and the impact this had on one man’s life in particular, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The content of the unit also attempts to expand participants' understanding of what it means to follow an Islamic way of life, briefly covering the Five Pillars of Islam before expanding on 8 core Islamic values that are core to leading an Islamic way of life.

MPV's Progressive Islam Curriculum Live Workshop

Date: Saturday March 1, 2025 | 7:00 PM PT | 9:00 PM CT | 10:00 PM ET

Registration Fee: $15 donation to Muslims for Progressive Values' Public Education Fund to compensate our educator with the benefit of an interactive question and answer session.

About the Registration Fee:

We want our educational resources to be as accessible as possible but we also believe in compensating our educators and the people who make these educational programs possible. If you would like to attend but cannot afford the $15 donation to MPV, please reach out to us at [email protected].

If you have the ability to and would like to sponsor an individual's attendance for the workshop, please make a donation of $30 and add a note to your donation signaling that you are sponsoring a community member's registration fee.

About the Educator:

Kendra Cordova (they/them) is a revert Muslim. They hold an MFA in Creative Writing and their background includes advanced language and composition, storytelling, literary analysis, world literature, and training as a spiritual life coach. 

Kendra was raised with a strict religious education within the Catholic Church, but didn't feel that the teachings reflected their belief in God's compassion and love. They went on to spend time studying world religions and spent years with New Age movements. These teachings were full of healing and compassion, but were still missing an important aspect: the Oneness of God.

In 2019 Kendra was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, and felt drawn to study Islam. After reading the Quran and a few years of study, they knew they had found the truth in Islam and converted at the end of 2021.

As a queer person (nonbinary asexual panromantic), and the mother of two special needs children, Kendra has been inspired by the beauty of the Quran and the core Islamic principles including social justice, fostering a personal relationship with God, and the celebration of diversity in God's creation. They have incorporated Islam into their creative life as well, writing sufi poetry and including Islamic imagery in their paintings which have been featured in juries exhibitions in the U.S.

As a host for MPV, Kendra hopes to share the progressive message of Islam and help Muslims who have often felt marginalized in the community to feel seen, heard, and loved through sharing Islamic stories, analyzing scholarly research, and encouraging viewers to share their stories, too.

You can contact Kendra at [email protected]