Junior Youth Program
The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program aims to help young adolescents recognize their unique qualities and talents —such as an emerging awareness of reality, a strong sense of justice, a curiosity to learn about the world, and a spirit of selfless service to others. These powers are directed toward the betterment of their communities and its material and spiritual advancement.
What is the Junior Youth Program?
"Through education children ... recognize the importance of respecting the interests of others and see as a sacred obligation service to their neighbors."
Bahá'í Writings
The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program (JYSEP) seeks to unlock the intellectual and spiritual capacities of young adolescents, generally between the ages of eleven and fifteen, and to direct them toward service to humanity. At this pivotal age, they begin to move beyond childhood and to develop and strengthen fundamental concepts about their identity and the role they will play in society.
Given the importance of belonging to a group of peers at this stage of life, the program is organized around a group of friends who are accompanied by an “animator” — a mentor who builds genuine bonds of friendship with the participants, encouraging them to develop these capacities and direct them towards service to their communities.
What are the capacities the Junior Youth develop?
The program supports junior youth in developing the ability to express themselves with clarity and precision while strengthening their reading, writing, and comprehension skills. It offers opportunities for artistic expression, critical thinking, and the development of presentation skills, helping participants gain confidence in sharing their ideas and experiences. At the same time, junior youth build strong moral foundations by learning to make thoughtful choices through a process of action and reflection, exploring complex situations, and discussing their implications, which helps them develop decision-making skills that will guide them positively throughout their lives.
In parallel, the program cultivates spiritual perception by helping junior youth recognize the constructive and destructive forces at work in their environment and understand how these influence their lives. This growing awareness enables them to reflect more deeply on their experiences, make more conscious decisions, and direct their actions toward their own well-being and the well-being of their community.
Learn more about the junior youth program and their activities.
What is a junior youth group like?
Through study and service, junior youth engage in meaningful conversations centered on stories from the lives of other young people their age, helping them explore profound concepts such as true friendship, intellectual and spiritual excellence, and service to others. With the guidance of their animator, they reflect on these ideas and put them into practice by designing and carrying out service projects that contribute to the betterment of their surroundings, nurturing a sense of purpose and responsibility toward their community.
Alongside this, junior youth participate in a range of artistic, cultural, and recreational activities shaped by their interests and diverse backgrounds, strengthening collaboration and building deep bonds of friendship. They also take part in monthly camps that bring together junior youth from different communities, creating a joyful space to share what they are learning and to experience being part of a collective movement united by a common purpose.
Contact us to find a junior youth group in your area or to become trained as an animator.
