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.
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.
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.