Since its inception, the Ruhi Institute has attached special importance to its work with youth aged 12 to 15; specifically, it has sought to understand the dynamics of maintaining small groups in local communities that offer a setting in which young people can discuss ideas and form a strong moral identity. The Institute has found the titles noted below useful for this purpose. They are divided into two categories and are listed in order of difficulty. Several other titles will eventually be added to the Institute’s program for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth.
All of the titles are concerned with developing language skills and the power of expression. Some in the first category also address mathematical concepts and social issues, while others seek to prepare young people to approach the investigation of physical, social and spiritual reality in a scientific manner. Though the moral concepts in the materials in the first category are drawn from the Bahá’í teachings, they are not religious in nature, nor do they treat subjects that are specifically Bahá’í. Many kinds of organizations, including academic institutions, will therefore find them useful for their educational programs with junior youth. The current titles in this category are:
Breezes of Confirmation
Wellspring of Joy
Habits of an Orderly Mind
Glimmerings of Hope
Walking the Straight Path
On Health and Well-Being
Learning About Excellence
Thinking About Numbers
Observation and Insight
The Human Temple
Drawing on the Power of the Word
In its own work with young people, the Ruhi Institute includes the items in the second category, which address Bahá’í-related subjects. Among these subjects are those with which adolescents most often struggle, such as free will and predestination and the complex relationship between will and knowledge. Currently, the following titles are in this category:
Spirit of Faith
Power of the Holy Spirit
The spiritual empowerment program is offered to junior youth in small groups, usually formed in a village or neighborhood by an older youth. The Ruhi Institute is developing a series of branch courses, beginning with Book 5 in its main sequence, to prepare older youth and adults to serve as “animators” of such groups. If you are interested in reading comments from those who have participated in the program, click here.