Junior Youth

Last updated: June 26, 2007

"We welcome the decision of the Institute...to move the book currently occupying the fifth position in the sequence to a set of courses branching out from Book 3 for preparing Bahá'í Children's class teachers and to insert in the fifth place a new book for raising up animators of junior youth groups." - Letter from the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies, 28 December 2005

"Whatever the nature of the cluster, it is imperative to pay close attention to children and junior youth everywhere. Concern for the moral and spiritual education of young people is asserting itself forcefully on the consciousness of humanity, and no attempt at community building can afford to ignore it. What has become especially apparent during the current Five Year Plan is the efficacy of educational programmes aimed at the spiritual empowerment of junior youth. When accompanied for three years through a programme that enhances their spiritual perception, and encouraged to enter the main sequence of institute courses at the age of fifteen, they represent a vast reservoir of energy and talent that can be devoted to the advancement of spiritual and material civilization. So impressed are we by the results already achieved, and so compelling is the need, that we will urge all National Assemblies to consider the junior youth groups formed through programmes implemented by their training institutes a fourth core activity in its own right and to promote its wide-scale multiplication." - Letter from the Universal House of Justice to the Continental Board of Counsellors dated 27 December 2005.

[Excerpted from Ruhi Resources on Raising Up Animators of Junior Youth Groups]

The following books are new to Ruhi and are used by those who have been trained as Animators of Junior Youth Groups.

	Breeze of Confirmation - Ages 11-12 Breezes of Confirmation, prepared by the William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation in Zambia, tells the story of Musonda, a young girl who has just turned 13, and her older cousin Rose, who has come to visit for the school holidays. A theme that runs throughout the story is that of making an effort and receiving God's confirmations. While the book maintains a certain level of simplicity in terms of sentence structure and flow, the use of difficult words is not avoided. By placing such words in different contexts, and drawing out their meaning through exercises, the text builds vocabulary and strengthens literacy skills. The book works best with youth aged 11 and 12. (78 pages, 8 ½" x 11") Order from Development Learning Press, www.devlp.com.
	Walking the Straight Path - Ages 13-14 Stories have traditionally been a means for conveying moral concepts from one generation to the next. The Badi Foundation in Macau draws on this tradition by bringing together twenty stories from different cultures in Walking the Straight Path. Each story is relatively short and followed by a series of exercises designed to further comprehension, build vocabulary, and enhance moral reasoning. Short quotations for memorization are also provided. The book is intended to be studied by young people aged 13 to 14. (79 pages, 8 ½" x 11") Order from Development Learning Press, www.devlp.com.
	Drawing on the Power of the Word - Age 14 *Drawing on the Power of the Word* by the Ruhi Foundation in Colombia seeks to enhance the power of expression and explore the moral implications of speech and action. It consists of twenty readings, each of which is complemented by exercises in language skills. The readings begin simply, but gain in complexity both in terms of thought and language. The first reading introduces Diego and his youth group, who live in the small town of Alegrías. With the help of a tutor from the nearby institute named Elisa, the group thinks about the power of enlightened words and pure deeds to bring about social change. The book is designed for youth aged 14. (110 pages, 8 ½" x 11"). Order from Development Learning Press, www.devlp.com.

Activities for Junior Youth

The Junior Youth website brings together tools and resources to develop effective Junior Youth programs in a timely manner. The site includes: 1) a compilation of Writings and BIC documents on the topic of Junior Youth/Spiritual Education, 2) a summary of research done by various organizations on the condition of junior youth today (violence, suicide, health etc) 3) over 50 lesson plans developed by different people/organizations around the world (including a large number of lesson plans for non-Baha'i junior youth classes), 4) courses/guidelines to train junior youth in public speaking, 5) documents/guidelines for creating junior youth programs, and 6) successful practices from different Baha'i communities.

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