Junior Youth Empowerment Programme

The Junior Youth Empowerment Programme helps early teens (11-14 years) form a strong moral identity and empowers them to contribute to the wellbeing of their communities and the world at large. While junior youth are often characterized as entering a problematic stage of life, Bahá’ís see in these young people a strong sense of justice, an inclination towards altruism, eagerness to learn about the world, and a desire to contribute to the construction of a better society. Bahá’ís throughout the world work with junior youth of all backgrounds and faiths to assist them to navigate through this crucial stage in their lives. Service is a big part of this empowerment process.
Junior Youth realise their spiritual potential by reflecting on the meaning of life and offering their service to their neighbourhoods and communities. By developing their spiritual qualities, their moral virtues and character, as well as their intellectual capabilities and abilities to organise acts of service, these junior youth come to see that they can help bring about positive change in the world.
​Some helpful links to find out more:
https://www.facebook.com/trianglejyg/
​http://www.building-community.ca/junior-youth-groups
http://www.phillybahai.org/junior-youth-groups.html

Baha'i Youth Year of Service

It is also common for Baha'i youth to undertake a 'year of service': a period of time, often after highschool or during their university studies, which is dedicated to voluntary work in their home country or abroad. The type of service undertaken by youth varies and may include such activities as supporting children's classes or a youth empowerment program in their local community, volunteering at a school or project in another country, or working in the gardens or other roles at the Baha'i World Centre in the Holy Land. Youth draw their inspiration for service from the many beautiful Baha'i writings and prayers on this topic which point to the importance of dedicating our talents, energies and resources to the upliftment of humanity and the betterment of the common good. Such service is beneficial to both the community and the individual. As Shoghi Effendi has written: "Service is the magnet which draws the divine confirmations."

Service is not just for youth, however. Whether children, youth or adults, there are many opportunities for you and your community to engage in service and to discover the meaning, growth and blessings that service brings to your life. Below are some general ideas on starting points for service in your community!

General Ideas for Charitable Actions and Service Projects

There are so many different ways to offer service to those in need. Broad areas include:

1. Promoting Health, including health research, public information campaigns, and sponsoring access to appropriate medications for those in need but without means.
2. Contributing to Poverty-Alleviation Programs, including relieving hunger, promoting job skills training, literacy programs, providing temporary shelter for people in need, advocating for social support to the family, and the removal of structural barriers to social equality among races, minority groups, and between the sexes.
3. Promoting Education, including universal literacy and primary education programs, financial contributions to educational institutions, offering scholarships to less fortunate students, sponsoring classroom tools, school lunch programs or after-school care.
3. Protecting the Natural Environment, including cleaning parks, streets, forests, beaches, rivers, lakes and oceans, advocating for & adopting lower consumption habits, promoting reusable shopping bags and reuseable drinking/eating materials, promoting & adopting low-carbon transportation methods, 'greening' urban centres and beautifying public spaces, and educating the public about the importance of climate action and environmental protection.
4. Enriching Community Life, such as assisting in the creation and maintenance of public parks, libraries, cultural programs or festivals, children's services, or historic sites. 
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Visitor-Submitted Ideas:

So many of the visitors to our site have simple and wonderful experiences with service projects and charitable initiatives. Here are some of the ideas and suggestions that have been sent in for sharing:

Kate V. from Ontario writes: Serving food in a food bank or homeless shelter can be an eye-opening and humbling experience for youth. When we become aware of the destitution in our own local communities we realize that our duty and privilege to serve others is not just 'out there, far away' but here in our own towns and daily lives too. Putting a face to Need also gives a new meaning to other service projects like food and clothing donation. It is always important to spend a good amount of time reflecting with the youth both before and after each of their service activities, especially with vulnerable populations, so that they can process their feelings about the experience and plan for follow-up activities.

​Victor S. writes: Cleaning up the social areas of hospitals and water sources, helping the needy and old people, and donating fruits and other support to the sick.

Peter M. from Western Australia writes: 

1. Clean a public area: take rakes, collection bags, etc. to a public area and clean it up. To promote longer-term thinking: consider buying / taking / making some rubbish bins that can be left in that area and arrange for them to be emptied regularly. Bins should be divided into recycling arrangements.

2. Clean up a cemetery and/or plant trees like frangipani or bougainvillea.

3. Make and erect an information notice or mural: think of a useful and important public health or information message – design it beforehand – get the materials needed – make it and arrange for its permanent display. Examples: ‘The Unity of Mankind / Promoting racial harmony / Ye are the leaves of one tree / Promote education for girls / Girls become mothers and mothers are the first educators etc.

4. Plant fruit trees in public spaces: get mango & avocado seeds, plant them and watch the seedlings grow – create a small nursery of seedlings, find homes where they can be planted – offer them to local homes/compounds on condition they be watered and looked after. 

5. Plant ornamentals: e.g. bougainvillea which is very hardy & flowers prolifically. Find a suitable public space or a school or hospital, consider using planters e.g. large pots or tubs.

6. Bake cakes & distribute: help JY follow a recipe and make cakes or biscuits and then donate them to an appropriate group or organisation, e.g. old folks or hospital ward.

7. Bounce-Back Boards: make these simple playground games – perhaps get them made by carpenters – maybe paint them, paint a message or slogan on them, then donate them to local pre-schools, primary schools. Make a sheet of instructions to go with them.

8. Choir / songs: get the JY group to learn a few happy songs, then arrange for the group to visit some institutions (elders homes for example) to entertain, - perhaps combine with baking cakes, etc.

9. Role plays – drama cameos: JY group to write / prepare some small skits that could have profound messages, e.g. to do with making newcomers welcome / racial unity / being trustworthy / boys developing compassion & kindness, not just girls / etc. Arrange to perform the skits. Consider integrating with other items above.

10. Service within the family: get each youth to think about and decide on how they could increase / improve service within their family setting – get each to record/ write out what they will do & when, perhaps write a contract with parents & get parents to sign off when service is performed.

11. Collect & donate books: many homes have books they no longer need, especially children’s books. Arrange for JY to collect books from homes and then redistribute to a pre-school, primary school or women's shelter.