Tatar Alan 2025 – Washington, Pennsylvania
In 2025, Tatar Alan took place in the state of Pennsylvania, near the city of Washington.
The main theme of the camp was national identity, personal development, and cultural self-awareness.
Team
Lead educators of the camp:
Ildus abi Akhmadullin
A highly experienced technical leader specializing in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI); Built his career at Google, and previously at Meta, Apple, and Celonis as Staff and Tech Lead.
Kamila apa Hamdi
Yoga instructor and mentor experienced in working with neurodiverse children.
Shirin apa Al-Ansi
Music therapist. Albums: Planeta (2021, producer Iskandar Mustafin); Kalam Yanynda (2014, producer Yummy Music).
The teachers’ closest assistants are our counselors, their true “right hands.” Our greatest pride is that all counselors are young Tatars raised within our own community:
Ümit Çapanoğlu
Yusuf Salakhutdinov
Amir Akhmetzhanov
Salikh Salakhutdinov
Program
Main Theme — Identity
The idea of the camp was to explore each participant’s knowledge and personal associations related to the Tatars, Tatar culture, and Tatar heritage — and to deepen these through various activities over the course of the camp. We gathered children’s associations about “being Tatar” at the beginning and at the end of the camp — the difference was striking and deeply inspiring.
Theatre Performance
One of our warmest traditions is a theatre show presented by the parents’ group, reflecting Tatar customs and traditions. This year’s production was “Tatar Wedding.”
Shaping the Future
The special 2025 Tatar Alan program in Pennsylvania was Shaping the Future. It was designed by Ildus Akhmadullin and implemented under his leadership. The main goal — to show Tatar children and youth a clear and logical approach to future planning — and to test this through a real project.
Topics covered:
🤔 Decision-making frameworks
How to define priorities and evaluate alternatives — a necessary skill for any meaningful decision.
📚 Choosing a university and profession
How to search for and select an education path that aligns with one’s interests and goals.
📇 Job interview skills
Practical, real-life advice on how to prepare for interviews and present oneself effectively. After conducting mock interviews with real engineers, managers, and university professors, our HOPE grew incredibly strong!
📈 Career planning
How to plan your growth in advance and identify opportunities that fit your strengths.
In total, about 12 hours of lectures, workshops, and real projects were completed:
A “matching” mobile app
A grandmother-robot concept
A language-learning app
«Сәлам, Washington!»
A beloved East Coast Tatar Alan tradition: on Day 1 we begin with “Hello, Washington!” Children meet, reconnect, make new friends, explore iconic places together, and start building shared memories right away.
We began at the National Museum of American History. There, many long-awaited reunions and first introductions took place — witnessed by enormous mammoth bones, dinosaur skulls, and the rich ecological exhibits of the United States.
Next, we walked toward the U.S. Capitol. We admired the grand Rotunda, studied the historical paintings depicting the “apotheosis” of Washington, walked through the old chambers of Congress, and learned how laws are passed in the United States. This journey provided invaluable insight into the center of American democracy — especially meaningful for Tatar children.
Further Adventures: Luray Caverns and More
Of course, Tatar Alan didn’t stop there. We also visited the famous Luray Caverns, went on a nature quest, explored a classic-car museum, and learned about life in an Amish village.
Our Greatest Pride: Tatar Conference and “Şärıq kiçäse”
During Tatar Alan, young Tatars and children organized the Tatar Conference, Eastern Night, and Tatar Open House. Children presented their projects, creative works, Tatar-language reports, and theatrical performances. They are truly the generation building the new Tatar cultural space.
Tatar Alan 2025 T-shirt
We would love to share the story of the special Tatar Alan 2025 T-shirt. Its design is based on the flag of Tatarstan:
🌿 Green – life, youth, and faith
🤍 White – purity, peace, and sincere intentions
❤️ Red – strength, energy, and the thread connecting generations
The pattern resembles a Gucci-style monogram, but created using a traditional Tatar ornament. It was designed by Marat Salahutdinov in collaboration with Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT (Gapteri).
Another special detail: the T-shirt includes iconic landmarks from the cities where Tatar Alan participants live. Can you recognize them?
- Montreal Biosphère
- Golden Gate tower
- U.S. Capitol
- Miami art-deco style building + palm
- Columbus LeVeque Tower
- Mansfield Courthouse
- Seattle Space Needle
- Griffith Observatory
- Sunshine Skyway Bridge
- Moncton Assomption Place
- CN Tower
- Gateway Arch
- Empire State Building