The training institute is a form of distance education centered on the spiritual and material progress of all members of a community. The three stages of the educational process include programs for:
The purpose of participating in these programs is to develop the habits, skills, and abilities to serve the community.
“The main sequence of courses is organized so as to set the individual, whether Bahá’í or not, on a path being defined by the accumulating experience of the community… The very notion of a path is, itself, indicative of the nature and purpose of the courses, for a path invites participation, it beckons to new horizons, it demands effort and movement, it accommodates different paces and strides, it is structured and defined… And crucially, one walks the path in the company of others.” The Universal House of Justice, Dec. 12, 2011
Children’s Class Program
The emphasis of the children’s class program implemented by the training institute is placed on helping its participants to think, to reflect on and to apply spiritual qualities to the life of the individual and society. Especially in early childhood, great attention is given to the development of a set of beliefs, habits and behaviors that constitute the essential attributes of a spiritual being. Lessons for children’s classes begin at age 5 and continue until age 11.
What is a children’s class like?
Through weekly classes, a group of 5 to 10 children and a teacher read stories, memorize prayers and quotes, sing songs, play games, and engage in artistic activities. The focus is on learning to think, to reflect and to apply spiritual concepts, and identify with something greater than ourselves in an environment open to children of every background.
It is important to mention that children’s classes are not classes of indoctrination, as this is completely at odds with the institute’s educational philosophy. Even though children are instructed in the principles, teaching, and basic beliefs of the Bahá’í Faith, the emphasis is on learning to enable them to contribute to the creation of a better world.
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What are the materials?
The materials of the children’s class program are divided into lessons with distinct parts: a story, song, memorization, and an artistic activity or game. The curriculum is provided by the Ruhi Institute.
What are spiritual qualities?
Central to a spiritual life is the development of spiritual qualities that assist each of us in our eternal journey towards God. In this world, the cultivation of such qualities is inseparable from an ongoing refinement of our conduct in which our actions increasingly come to reflect the nobility and integrity with which every human being is endowed. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states: We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station. As we allow the knowledge of God to increase in our minds and hearts, the qualities of our higher nature begin to flourish.
Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program
The junior youth spiritual empowerment program implemented by the training institute seeks to release the intellectual and spiritual powers of young adolescents and direct them towards service to humanity. Currently tens of thousands of young people around the world are in the program, which typically lasts three years. Junior youth are young people ages 12 to 15, the members of a distinct age group. They are no longer children and have immense potentialities that can be directed toward the improvement of themselves and society. The following chart summarizes each junior youth text currently available, as well as the components of the program.
What is a junior youth group like?
Normally, a junior youth group participating in the program meets weekly and studies materials with the aid of a facilitator called an animator. Animators do not “teach” the junior youth. Rather, they create an environment of mutual learning and support where the junior youth’s capacities are brought to life. The series of books explore material and spiritual themes, but not in the mode of religious instruction, so that individuals from any background can apply them to their own lives. During the rest of the time, the group engages in artistic activities, consult on and plan service projects and participate in healthy recreation. In addition to these weekly meetings, the group attends special events and comes together to perform acts of service.
What are the materials?
The materials of the program are designed as stories about junior youth from around the world. Every book emphasizes the power of expression through the development of language skills as well as seek to prepare young people to approach the investigation of physical, social and spiritual reality in a scientific manner. Though the moral concepts in the materials are drawn from the Bahá’í teachings, they are not religious in nature, nor do they treat subjects that are specifically Bahá’í. Many kinds of organizations, including academic institutions, will therefore find them useful for their educational programs with junior youth. The current titles are:
- Breezes of Confirmation
- Wellspring of Joy
- Habits of an Orderly Mind
- Glimmerings of Hope
- Walking the Straight Path
- Learning About Excellence
- Thinking About Numbers
- Observation and Insight
- The Human Temple
- Drawing on the Power of the Word
What is meant by spiritual empowerment?
At the heart of the program lies the concept of spiritual empowerment. There are many interpretations for the word spiritual, in the context of the program it refers to the attributes that make us fundamentally human. True spirituality–cultivates thirst for knowledge, it promotes empathy, it provides for the control of selfish impulses, it emphasizes oneness, it fosters generosity and humility, and it nurtures appreciation for diversity and attraction to beauty, The conception of power employed here differs greatly from prevalent definitions that associate it with the intention to dominate or to induce others to acquiesce to one’s wishes and demands. The aim is, instead, to become channels for the flow of the powers of the human spirit: the power of unity, of love, of humble service, of pure deeds.
What is a learning site?
The Dallas City cluster was designated a learning site for the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment program in 2017. The purpose of a learning site in the region is to pursue the frontiers of learning related to the program. The network of learning sites in North America includes San Diego, East Valley, the Triangle, and Toronto.
Main Sequence of Courses
The main sequence of courses of the training institute are read and discussed by a group of friends, who may constitute a study circle that meets regularly, during a campaign arranged for intensive study, or may gather in a camp during school holidays. Whatever the occasion, one member of the group acts as a tutor. The relationship between the tutor and the other participants is not of a teacher-to-student; rather all are consciously engaged in a process in which everyone is seeking to learn. The study circle serves as an environment of mutual support in which the participants come to see themselves as protagonists of a constant effort to apply knowledge in pursuit of collective progress.
A Path of Service
Organized around the concept of a “path of service” the courses set the participants on a journey of spiritual and moral development whose hallmark is the consistent enhancement of each individual’s capacity to render meaningful service to their community. Among the paths of service addressed by the institute’s courses are service as a teacher of children’s classes, service as an animator of a junior youth group, as well as service as a tutor. In this way, the study circle program in a given locality serves as the mechanism of human resource development for a process of spiritual education with three distinct stages.
What are the materials?
The materials of the main sequence of courses
- Book 1 Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
- Book 2 Arising to Serve
- Book 3 Teaching Children’s Classes, Grade 1
- Teaching Children’s Classes, Grade 2:
- A branch course of Book 3 (pre-publication edition)
- Teaching Children’s Classes, Grade 3:
- A branch course of Book 3 (pre-publication edition)
- Teaching Children’s Classes, Grade 4:
- A branch course of Book 3 (material in development)
- Book 4 The Twin Manifestations
- Book 5 Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth
- Initial Impulse: The first branch course of Book 5 (material in development)
- Widening Circle: The second branch course of Book 5 (material in development)
- Book 6 Teaching the Cause
- Book 7 Walking Together on a Path of Service
- Book 8 The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh (pre-publication edition)
- Book 9 Gaining an Historical Perspective (pre-publication edition)
- Book 10 Building Vibrant Communities (pre-publication edition)
- Book 11 Material Means (material in development)
- Book 12 Family and the Community (material in development)
- Book 13 Engaging in Social Action (material in development)
- Book 14 Participating in Public Discourse (material in development)
You can find more information about books 1 through 7, including a freely downloadable PDF of the book, on the Ruhi Institute’s website.
While freely available, these materials are best studied in the company of others, including a trained facilitator. Use this contact form to find Baha’is near you.