The Youth Arm of the Academy for Learning Islam was formed with the aim of uniting the Shi'a youth of Lower Mainland (Vancouver, BC) and giving them an opportunity to serve the community. The Youth Arm, or YA-ALI, was a branch of the Academy entirely managed and run by the youth, although advice and consent was sought from the Academy’s Religious Director. Management of YA-ALI was administered by a core group of less than 10 youth, from various Shi‘a communities. With help from numerous other youths, this core groups ran a large number of services, catered not just to the youth but to the community as whole, including:

• Book reading club
  The Youth Arm of the Academy began to organize a book reading club around the book Adabus Salat by Imam Khomeini as a weekly discussion by about 10 youths regarding a prescribed passage of the book. On some occasions guest speakers who were temporarily in the city were invited to come and give a talk to the youth instead of having a discussion on that day.
• ALI Literature Section
  The ALI Literature Section was the Academy’s book Distribution branch which was coordinated by the Youth Arm. The goal of the Literature Section was to make Islamic literature and learning resources readily available to the community through displaying selected books at the Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre (located in Vancouver, BC) on special occasions.
• Imam Mahdi Contest
  The Muslim Youth Association (MYA) organizes an Imam Mahdi contest every year during the Wiladat of the 12th Imam (a). The Youth Arm in conjunction with Madrasah Az-Zahraa developed a contest for students. This contest was comprised of writing a creative and thoughtful Ariza to the 12th Imam and the prizes were $100 Cdn for 1st prize and $50 for 2nd and 3rd prize winners.
• Recording of ALI Courses
  The courses given at the Academy are of great value. As such, the Academy feels that in addition to the students attending the courses, other students from far and wide should also be able to benefit from these courses as well. Many courses held at ALI were recorded in high quality audio or video and distributed through the ALI Literature Info centre.
• Yawm Al- Quds (Day of Quds) Awareness Posters
  The Day of Quds is remembered every last Friday of Ramadhan. The YA found a lack of awareness of this day and its goals in the community, and in response to this void, the YA designed an informative and attractive display of five 18"x24" color posters which included information and statistics on the daily lives of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The display also included approximately ten 8.5"x11" posters which contained quotes and images relating to the the theme.
• Christmas Cards for tabligh
  The Islamic Publishing House in Ontario produced Christmas cards with verses and ahâdith appropriate for tablîgh during the season, which the YA printed and distributed locally.
• Marriage Brochures for tabligh
  At a community wedding, the YA prepared brochures outlining the Islamic perspective on marriage and Islamic wedding ceremonies. Subsequently the YA received another request to distribute these brochures at another wedding