About Us

The Community Education Center (CEC) was founded in 1995 with the purpose of serving the South Asian and Muslim communities of the Tampa Bay Area. At the start, the CEC held youth religious classes. Since then, CEC has grown tremendously and is the site of educational, social, religious, and cultural events.

Initially, CEC was located in West Tampa before moving to a larger site on the border of Lutz and New Tampa. In an effort to better accommodate CEC's growing membership, the CEC Board of Directors decided that a more central location was needed that would provide easy access to anyone in the Tampa Bay area. In 2005, The center moved to its current location in East Hillsborough near Seffer.

While the majority of CEC members belong to the South Asian or Muslim community, CEC is by no means exclusive, and all are invited to attend CEC events and gatherings. Since its founding, CEC has been host to many prominent individuals in the Tampa Bay Area including current Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Moreover, the CEC aims to become an involved member of the overall community. For over a decade, CEC has participated in the Feed the Hungry charity event where impoverished citizens are provided food, health check-ups, toys, and clothing, and CEC continues to look for more outlets of outreach.

The goal of CEC is to provide a setting where individuals of all ages can learn, socialize, and develop themselves. While CEC promotes Islamic values of hospitality, morality, and charity, CEC is not an exclusively religious organization. Thus, CEC is able to provide a wide variety of events that serve this community.

Currently, we are in the feasibility stage and hoping to build several environmentally sustainable facilities that will better serve the needs of this community. These plans include a large event hall, prayer hall, classroom space, gymnasium with indoor basketball courts, recreational fields, and apartment housing. With the continued involvement and financial as well as moral support from our members, we will be able to make these dreams a reality in the upcoming years.