“… we will urge all National Spiritual
Assemblies to consider the junior youth
groups formed through programmes
implemented by their training institutes a
fourth core activity in its own right and
promote its wide-scale multiplication.”
Universal House of Justice
December 27, 2005
What is a Junior Youth
Group?
A group of 12-14 years old who meet
regularly to study and discuss the
lessons of junior youth courses with
an animator. They also engage in
artistic, extracurricular and small
service activities.
Who is an ANIMATOR of
Junior Youth Group?
An individual who has:
 Completed Ruhi books 1, 2 and 3
 Trained in the curriculum of the
Spiritual Empowerment of Junior
Youth Program
 Capable of facilitating a Jr. Youth
Group
What is the
Spiritual Empowerment of
Junior Youth Program?
A program adopted by the Magdalene
Carney Bahá’i Institute in 2004 that
focuses on the spiritual and moral
empowerment, and intellectual and
social development of Jr. Youth.
What is the
Purpose of the Program?
The Program is designed to empower junior
youth and:
 Foster their spiritual identity
 Create a moral structure in their lives
 Empower them to serve humanity
 Develop their power of expression
“Strategies to advance the process of entry by
troops cannot ignore children and junior youth, if
the victories won in one generation are not to be
lost with the passage of time. It is imperative, then,
that at this point in the process of systematization
of the teaching work, definite steps be taken to
ensure that the vision of the community fully
embraces its young members”
Universal House of Justice, (1999)
Jr. Youth Groups in ACTION

Engage in acts of service

Develop a sense of responsibility

Develop nobility of self

Contribute to community life
Jr. Youth Material
Breezes of Confirmation
(12 years old)
Walking the Straight Path
(13 years old)
Drawing on the Power of the Word
(14 years old)
What Kind of Capabilities Do
These Materials Develop?
 Capacities that enhance the power of
expression
 Capacities that help junior youth
recognize the moral issues underlying
everyday decisions and identify the
moral implications of speech and
actions
Junior Youth Group Activities
Art
Studying the
Lessons
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reading/ Writing
Memorization
Discussion
Question/Answer
Role-play
Demonstration
Recreation
• Snacks
• Outdoor
/Indoor
• Games
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Crafts
Poetry
Drama/Skits
Appreciation of Music
Story telling
Dance
Songs
ExtraCurricular
Activities
Service
• Learning about
environment
• Appreciation of
nature
• Environmental
preservation
activities
• Honoring Elders
• World Citizenship
• Visit to museums
• Field trips
• Role-play
• Games
MCBI’s Experience With
Junior Youth
1998 - 2001
Retreats
Ecological Camps
Jr. Youth and Youth Groups
2001 - present Youth Character Development
Program (for the greater
community)
2004
Animators Training
2005
Empowerment Campaign
Project Coordinator
JRY Group Animator
Children’s Class Teacher
Tutor / Home Visits
Teacher of the Cause
Project Team Leader
JRY Group Animator
Children’s Class Teacher
Tutor / Home Visits
Teacher of the Cause
Co-Animator of JRY Group
Children’s Class Teacher
Tutor / Home Visits
Teacher of the Cause
Teacher for Children’s Class
Co-Animator of JRY Group
Service to
Community &
Environment
during and after high school
Project
Badí
Reading
Circle
17
Team Leadership
Training
Project
Badí
Reading
Circle
16
Jr. Youth
Animators Training
Book 7
Project
Badí
Reading
Circle
15
High School Training
Campaign
Project
Badí
Reading
Circle
Book 1 – Book 2 – Book 3
Drawing on the
14
Service to
Neighborhood &
Environment
Walking the
Straight Path
13
Service to
Environment
Breezes of
Confirmation
Power of the Word
Youth Service Program
2 to 12 Months
18
Book 4 Book 6
12 years old
MCBI Junior Youth Empowerment and Youth Leadership Programs
Lessons Learned
 Junior youth are a very receptive age group.
 Families of junior youth are receptive to the
Institute’s programs.
 The most receptive populations for junior
youth programs in the South are:
• Caribbean
• African American
• Latino
 The program needs to be easily accessible to
the junior youth.
Lessons Learned
 Developing and nurturing animators requires
intense and ongoing effort.
 Junior youth are very attracted to service
activities.
 Activities of a junior youth group should be well
balanced.
 Junior youth enjoy to be part of teaching
campaigns if they are systematically trained.
 Reaching out to families is easy, once their
junior youth are engaged in a junior youth
group.
MCBI’s Strategies for Spiritual
Empowerment of Jr. Youth
Program
 Increase the number of animators
 Multiply Jr. Youth groups
 Integrate Jr. Youth groups with
other core activities
Multiplication of Junior Youth
Groups
Junior Youth Groups in a Cluster
Multiplication
of Junior Youth Groups
Junior Youth Groups in a Cluster
INTEGRATION of ACTIVITIES
CC
Children Classes
SP
B1
JRY
group
CC
SP
B1
Parents
Siblings
Spiritual Parenting
SP
B1
CC
DEVOTIONALS
Ruhi Book 1
“It is extremely difficult
to teach the individual
and refine his character
once puberty is passed.
By then, as experience
hath shown, even if every
effort be exerted to
modify some tendency of
his, it all availeth
nothing. He may,
perhaps, improve
somewhat; but let a few
days pass and he
forgetteh, and turneth
backwards to his
habitual condition and
accustomed ways”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá