Get to Know Najwa Dahdah
Ms. Najwa Dahdah
Najwa Dahdah was born in Amman, Jordan, and immigrated to the United States many years ago. The feeling of being in a new place, with new customs, and new expectations, and surrounded by many different people is something Najwa still remembers, and it is what drives her to help others find their equitable voice and unique space in the community. Najwa is an advocate for children, families, programs, and underrepresented communities. She believes in equitable opportunities that empower individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, culture, or religion. Most of what has informed her purpose in the last 23 years as an Early Childhood Education (ECE) entrepreneur is related to the hardships immigrants face as they assimilate into a new country with a limited mastery of the language, new laws, and a lack of resources. This first-hand knowledge has guided her efforts to empower communities and help others to realize that language accessibility, professional development, and education not only prepare them for a thriving wage but also is what help to build communities.
Najwa is the Founder and CEO of Empowered Child Care Consulting Inc. Founded in 2016, and focused on community building and impact, is now also a leading training and consulting company in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE), including leading the translation of numerous ECE resources and materials in the Arabic and Spanish languages for multiple organizations around the state. Najwa’s deep trusting and respectful relationships with the Arab Muslim Community are paramount to her work. Most recently, she established a free food program funded by the Michigan Department of Education for two Mosques in Dearborn; this led to feeding over 11,000 diverse children, and has plans to do even more.
As a visionary and developer, she has established trusting and respectful relationships with both for-profit and non-profit organizations in underrepresented communities. Her passion and commitment to the profession and service to the community, have evolved over the years. Najwa also founded the Empowered Community Outreach Services (ECOS) in 2019; it is a non-profit organization designed to bring free and valuable resources to underserved communities. In January 2021, she founded the Empowered Community Learning Center (ECLC) inside the Urban Neighborhood Initiatives; it is a non-profit organization that has served Southwest Detroit for 25 years. With her education, experience, passion, and commitment, she identified a need for a Spanish-bilingual preschool program. Today ECLC is a proud partner of the Great Start Readiness Program serving free high-quality preschool education to low-income families.
Ms. Dahdah is also an educator and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) for the Early Childhood Education discipline and serves as co-chair for the Arab Cultural Association in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion department. She is also a Professional Development Specialist and a Council Alumni Network (CAN) Ambassador for the Council for Professional Recognition; she is also the first Arab American to have earned four scholarships from the Michigan Association for the Education of the Young Child (MIAEYC). This has helped her to advance her education and fortify a strong partnership with MIAEYC, conducting CDA resource days throughout the state of Michigan to support candidates with their CDA journey.
With a master’s degree in early childhood education leadership/administration from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Rochester University, she is a content expert in understanding cultural and linguistic best practices.
Najwa is immensely proud of training bi-lingual speaking professionals in their careers in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) profession. She sees her bi-lingual students as culturally and linguistically responsive new educators that can relate to the communities they live and work in while giving them equitable employment opportunities.
Najwa Dahdah is a member of the National Association of the Education of the Young Child, the Michigan Association of the Education of Young Children, the HighScope Foundation, and the Arab America Foundation Michigan Leadership Team. She has been happily married for 26 years and is the proud mother of three children.
Ms. Dahdah says, “Immigrants bring much value to our communities; they bring cultural competence, traditions, new businesses, and diversity in the workplace”. As a proud American citizen, she is thankful that she can bring real global perspectives to local communities and believes the opportunities for change and growth are endless. Najwa has plans to continue to measure community needs and expand more services and programs to help advance community growth and impact.
Fun Facts
- Let’s play ball- Najwa enjoys playing volleyball in the summer during beach outings with her family and friends.
- Mujadara w/ Salata (Lentils and rice w/salad) for dinner- Najwa enjoys cooking many favorite dishes for her family. Her family and friends rave about her Mujadara and Salad.
- New dog mom- Overcoming her fear of dogs for years, Najwa is happy to welcome Roxy to her family and absolutely loves her.
- Dance to the music- Najwa enjoys dancing, especially to Arabic music.
- Educational journey- Education has always been at the forefront for Najwa. Najwa is proud to be the first Arab American to have earned four scholarships from Michigan TEACH. From a CDA to a Master’s degree in ECE/Leadership and Administration.
- Translation- Equity and language accessibility are important to Najwa to support her community. First Arab American entrepreneur to have her company translate the CDA books into Arabic.
- CAN Ambassador- Representation is important for Najwa. First Arab American CAN Ambassador and looks forward to making an impact around the country.
- Summer family fun- Being a mother of 3 boys, Najwa, and her family enjoy spending time at Lake Michigan, enjoying the sand dunes, while the boys ride the 4-wheelers on the dunes.
- Sweet tooth- Najwa is a strong woman who is capable of so many things, but she still cannot refrain from Kunafa.