Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program
History
The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program was developed through a global network of organizations as a way of developing language skills, power of expression and the overall empowerment of the new generations of young people. Through critical analysis of successful methods and approaches, it was confirmed that in order to enhance literacy, the program needs to be designed in a way that targets the broader view of developing powers of expression. This specific age group of 11 - 15 year olds, who are in the most malleable period of life where physical, emotional, intellectual and behavioral changes are taking place, with the means and opportunity to explore a multitude of concepts and themes that empower them to deal with the complexities of life, combat negative social forces, and become active agents of social change.
Function
The JYSEP focuses on engaging youth in a mentor role known as an “animator” to help guide the Junior Youth in developing: their capacity for moral reasoning and a moral framework that enhances their ethic of service. Each week animators and Junior Youth study materials together that are based around moral and spiritual concepts and have a discussion on how to navigate the complex world we live in, resisting the negative forces in their lives, and to promote social progress. Group discussions are then enhanced through a wide range of activities such as study, healthy recreation, arts and community service.
Another large element of the JYSEP is the selfless acts of service or “service projects” that are aimed at helping the community in whatever way possible. This plays a vital role in assisting the Junior Youth to apply what they’ve learnt into meaningful action to positively impact the lives of others around them. The group will discuss and analyze the needs in their communities and together they will design, execute and reflect/evaluate their service projecting in enhancing and promoting the wellbeing of the community. It focuses on spiritual concepts, such as selfless service and detachment, directed towards contributing to the betterment of humanity.
Aims
Enhancing the Power of Expression
This goes beyond the mechanical skills of reading and writing alone. It delves deeper and assists Junior Youth to understand the profound and complex concepts that affect their lives as well as the lives of the people around them.
Sharpening spiritual perceptions
As Junior Youth become more aware of the spiritual forces that shape their lives, they begin to sharpen their spiritual perceptions. They learn and recognise this through the study of texts.
Building a sound moral structure
By engaging with the text accompanied by service projects, the Junior Youth begin to develop a sound moral structure assist them in guiding their decision making process and actions in a positive way.
By recognising their capability and capacity to serve others they come to recognise that they are able to be positive agents of change in the world.
Material
The materials used are a series of books that are concerned and prepare young people to approach the investigation of the physical, social and spiritual reality in a scientific manner.
The texts assist junior youth to reflect on questions characteristic of humanity’s spiritual heritage such as:
the meaning and purpose of life
the nature of human beings
the desirable virtues and collective values that shape our society
the role of prayer and meditation
the role of reflection in assisting individuals to overcome difficulties and sustain positive action
the value of sacred texts and traditions as a source of guidance and inspiration
City Montessori School Integration
City Montessori School began to take its endeavors in the field of character education to greater heights.
It’s part of the school curriculum which has provided a unique opportunity to empower and nurture the capacities of literally thousands of youth and junior youth to arise and fulfill their potential for initiating and sustaining the dual process of individual and social transformation, a kind of education that is rarely made available to youth today.
This program has been to train volunteers from the senior section (class 9, 10, 11 and 12) to become animators for the junior youth in their own campus (classes 6, 7 and 8). The JYEP teacher/coordinator of the campus helps the animators to form a group of junior youth (JY) and to facilitate the study of the JYEP books and the service project with the members of their groups. The bonds of friendship are strengthened and a group identity is formed as they go through this process for 3 years.
JY discover their talents and potentials through the stories of the life of junior youth like Musonda, Rose and Kibomi who are the main characters that reflect the realities of society today. The animators describe these JYEP books as “exciting and interesting stories that teach virtues such as selfless service, love, family solidarity and hope.” During the assembly time the Juniors and Seniors sections are made to coincide, Class 9 animators go to class 6 and animate their groups using the book Breezes of Confirmation; Class 10 go to class 7 with Walking the Straight Path; and Class 11 to Class 8 with Glimmerings of Hope. Class 12 animators accompany animators of Class 9.
The animators meet their Junior Youth groups outside the classroom– for example in Science park and Lobbies. Sitting on mats and in a circle, the junior youths do not feel their animators are teachers and the animators do not feel that their junior youths are their students. Detached from the classroom atmosphere, everyone in the group learns to see the other as friends who are there to learn from one another. Animators, thus, become ‘facilitators of learning’. One can see them interacting with each other outside their group discussing their problems with their animators.
A lot of junior youths who were generally very reserved in class have become very participative in the group discussions and service project activities. This shows that being in a group of peers where everyone is encouraged to share his/her ideas, without relying on getting grades, has made everyone feel very comfortable.
The animators also engage their Junior Youth groups in activities related to the concepts in the lessons through arts and crafts such as glass painting, drawing on chart papers and decorating class soft boards, performing skits, and learning prayers and songs. The activities they do are always directly related to the lessons they study, to enable them understand the concepts in each chapter better. The purpose is to identify their talents, to enhance their skills of consultation, decision- making and building a united work environment with their peers.
The component of service projects in JYEP helps students to develop virtues and skills. How can one serve others, be it in school, at home, in the neighborhood or even the community at large? The animators and junior youth first sit and discuss the issues they see in their schools or communities and then decide what kind of projects they can embark on to improve the situation. Junior youths identify a poor settlement, old age homes, orphanages, leprosy centre, handicap centre, adoption centre and slum and cluster areas to do a service project– they donate gifts and have meaningful interactions with the people in that community through showcasing prayers, songs, skits and nukkad natak. They are examples of self discipline in whatever responsibility they are given within the school like school annual functions .Animators also engage junior youths in projects dealing with issues of disaster management, such as evacuation during an earthquake or fire safety as a group leader and also engage in peer-tutorials. After discussing with the junior youths to find out what problems they face (for example: bullying, peer pressure, cheating), they then proceed to write scripts and perform nukkad nataks as well as having workshops to make themselves aware of how to fix the issues . The animators with JY are planning to host a radio show in order to bring awareness of current issues within and outside the school to the maximum audience, inviting callers to call in and share their views on those topics. Literacy project includes teaching to the menial staff Hindi as well as English language and conversation. A service project started a few years back has taken the form of a tree plantation drive where each JYEP student is made aware the importance of planting trees and each and every child has taken an oath to plant a sapling within school or their own neighborhoods as well as encouraging their family members to do the same. We also have a cleanliness drive where animators decided to clean the school compound every lunch time to become examples for the junior youth to do the same. The Primary Moral Education service project-volunteers from Classes 7 and 8 teach moral values to students of Primary, through prayers, songs, stories, drawings and co - operative games. Junior youth have started accompanying the primary kids who are facing problems and issues in school.
As the future generations the animators empower the junior youth, which then have a positive impact on the families, through families it passes to communities before moving on to the state and eventually with the continued program will have a long lasting impact on the entire nation.
The animators meet once a week with their JYEP teachers/ coordinators/ volunteers to share their experiences from their previous class and plan lessons and activities for their next classes. They discuss concepts that are essential for the empowerment of junior youth. Animators share their experiences with each other, and suggest solutions to their own challenges, thus empowering them to be responsible and take charge of their own growth. These activities are all documented through reports and photos for future learning.
JYEP is not an extracurricular activity; the program is very well within the school curriculum and time table, which makes it very inspiring to see how animators and volunteers are able to balance both their academic lives and service to their fellow schoolmates and the community. This goes to show that as students, they can live an integrated life- they can balance their spiritual with material life and enhance their intellectual, social, emotional, artistic and moral capabilities.