Raising up youth for service

The permanent Bahá’í schools in the country are supporting the Five Year Plan in various ways. One particularly important focus has been to raise up youth to be human resources for the core activities. This report from Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, ME (A) describes how youth in the summer program became empowered to serve as children’s class teachers.

Last summer, five youth volunteers arrived at Green Acre to serve as teachers for the children’s classes. Each of them had Institute training, with at least the first 3 Ruhi Books completed, and they were determined to strengthen their skills as teachers. When introduced to the materials used in the summer program, they literally squealed with excitement! They discovered a wealth of materials that they recognized would easily complement their Ruhi Book 3 training. The Children’s Program Coordinator was delighted with these young women, who could think on their feet and solve problems effectively. The children were drawn to them like magnets. At night, they would ask “how-to” questions about setting up neighborhood children’s classes in their home communities. By summer’s end, it was clear that they felt empowered to take the initiative when they returned home to start their own neighborhood children’s classes!

Office of Education and Schools