JUNIOR YOUTH SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

An Expansive Prospect looks at four places in the world, capturing the efforts of individuals, communities, and institutions as they strive together to release the society-building power of the Bahá'í Teachings in ever-greater measures. (starts from 38:30)

A global movement inspiring young people, parents, and community members to take charge of their own intellectual and spiritual growth and work together to contribute to the betterment of society.

A junior youth group in Toronto, Canada studying ‘Breezes of Confirmation’ with the help of a senior youth animator, talking about finding and cultivating one’s talent.

Thousands of young people from villages and neighbourhoods spanning every continent gathered to consult on the ways in which their generation can contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of their communities.

The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program (JYSEP) is a global movement inspiring young people, parents, and community members to work together toward a better world. The period between the ages of 11 to 15 represents a special time in the life of an individual, for it is during these years that he or she leaves childhood behind and undergoes profound change. Engaging junior youth in programs that seek to enhance their spiritual and intellectual capacities will prepare them to participate effectively in the affairs of their communities.Groups of 10 to 15 junior youth are formed and facilitated by trained individuals, who serve as mentors and role models. The themes the participants will be studying are cooperation, unity, service to humanity, truthfulness, striving for excellence in their lives and for the community, and justice.

We will start with these books with Junior youth from 11- 14 years old.

Breezes of confirmation (11-12세)
Glimmerings of Hope (11-12세)
Walking the Straight Path (13-14세)
Drawing on the Power of the Words (14세)

Junior Youth Program Materials: The series of books studied in the program are designed to foster the moral and intellectual empowerment of junior youth (ages 11-15). Through stories, lessons, and exercises, the junior youth are encouraged to investigate their physical, social, and spiritual realities while developing their literacy skills and ability to express themselves. All of the titles are concerned with developing language skills and the power of expression. Some also address mathematical concepts and social issues, while others seek to prepare young people to approach the investigation of physical, social and spiritual reality in a scientific manner.

The moral concepts that underlie the books are drawn from the teachings of the Baha’i Faith but are incorporated in such a way as to touch on universal themes that are enriching to junior youth from all religious and cultural backgrounds. Many kinds of organizations, including academic institutions, will therefore find them useful for their educational programs with junior youth.

Themes explored in material:

Making an effort to achieve noble goals
Choosing how to react in the face of difficulties
Finding one’s occupation while serving humanity
Building True friendship
Knowing difference between competition and cooperation
Pursuing spiritual and intellectual excellence
Understanding media and society
Practicing power of expression and moral implications of speech and action

educational materials

Breezes of Confirmation

Breezes of Confirmation is a text used in the first year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Programme. It fosters literacy and builds the power of expression. A key concept explored in this module is that of confirmation – the understanding that God assists and helps us when we strive to achieve a noble goal. This book along with its sister books, Walking the Straight Path & Drawing on the Power of the Word, seek to impart essential moral concepts and build certain attitudes required to live a fruitful and rewarding life.

On Health and Well-Being is an entry-level text, envisioned as the first in the series taken up for study by junior youth that addresses scientific concepts. It is made up of ten readings, each of which is followed by a set of activities. The story revolves around a seventh-grade class in Central America, whose teacher is helping her students think about human health. As the story unfolds, they learn about how the immune system protects the body, and this assists them in reflecting on the spiritual health of their community when a crisis occurs that affects them all.

The Human Temple is a text used in the second year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. It explores in depth the powers of the human spirit, that which distinguishes the human being from all other aspects of creation. The story follows a teacher and group of students in a classroom, who discuss, among other concepts, language, spiritual perception and the power of human utterance.

Glimmerings of Hope

Glimmerings of Hope is a text used in the first year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. It explores the choices and attitudes that contribute to hope, and conversely to despair. It emerged out of the experience of a group working with young people in Africa, many of whom are faced with difficult choices in societies torn by civil strife.

Drawing on the Power of the Word is a text used in the third year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. It explores concepts related to speech and action and the influence they exert on social progress. It encourages critical thinking, analysis of assumptions, and the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.

The story follows the meetings of a fictional junior youth group who discuss the way words are used, identify the importance of linking words to noble deeds, and explore ideas related to family, friendship, education, as well as material and spiritual progress. A visit by a newspaper reporter who writes an article about the group’s activities, leads to conversation about the media.

Thinking About Numbers is a text used in the second year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. It explores mathematical concepts such as accuracy, one-to-one correspondence, sets, negative and irrational numbers as well as efficiency, justice, technology and time. It supports the capability of making numerical statements about reality, as well as the capability to think about the social dimension of such statements.
The story follows the conversation of a group of classmates and their teacher, living in a rural village in the Philippines.

Walking the Straight Path

Walking the Straight Path is a text used in the first year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. It brings together twenty stories from several different cultures, each with a universal theme. Many of the stories are well known, have been recounted in numerous ways, and in this sense belong to the heritage of humankind. In Walking the Straight Path the stories are told in a way that teaches concepts related to moral development and develops language skills.

Wellspring of Joy is a text used in the first year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Programme. It is designed to strengthen basic reading and comprehension skills and to develop the capabilities associated with articulating ideas with precision and clarity. The readings tell the story of a 12 year old refugee who is adjusting to life in his new country. Though he is experiencing difficulty at the outset of the story he gradually comes to recognize where the source of true joy lies.

Observation and Insight is a text used in the third year of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. It is the first of the texts that address the question of science. Like other textbooks in the series, it consists of a number of readings which are followed by exercises intended to expand on ideas under discussion. The story opens in Jalpura, an imaginary village in India.