This summer, as tensions rise along with the temperature and the persistent deep divisions in our country give rise to a sense of hopelessness in some quarters, there are those bringing renewed hope and purpose across this land. Young Baha’is, along with their friends from numerous faith traditions, backgrounds and ethnicities, are spending their school break working to foster change at the grassroots level – change that demonstrates a new pattern of how society can operate. This pattern, in the words of the Baha’i Universal House of Justice, “fosters capacity for service – for the education of young generations, for the empowerment of the youth, for the spiritual education of children, for the enhancement of the capacity to draw upon the influence of the word of God in accompanying others into the field of service, and for the social and economic advancement of a people in light of the divine teachings for the age.”
Opportunities for service in the above-mentioned areas abound, of course, and this summer of service for youth varies greatly from place to place.
In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Culbreth Middle School serves a unique role in the community. It is the home for the school district’s Newcomer Program which serves students whose families have recently arrived in the U.S. In 2024, two young Baha’is, Nabil and Shadi, initiated a Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program there. Their aim was to help the students develop their powers of expression, develop a moral compass to navigate an increasingly complex world, foster positive peer influence and realize their capacity to become valuable resources to the community and their families. In this third year of operation, the program has expanded to sixty-some students who will continue their diverse activities which include tutoring younger students, hosting a neighborhood cleanup and sponsoring events for their families, so their parents can meet and interact with other immigrant families. All of these activities have a spiritual underpinning. Students are introduced to the practice of prayer which they, in turn, share with their families. As one participant said, “It is a space where you can connect with others and learn how to integrate spirituality into your daily life – learning to live without prejudice, showing love for your neighbors, fostering unity and simply being there for others.”
In Flint, Michigan, more than 200 families are engaged in Baha’i-inspired community building activities, with more than 100 participants under the age of 15. In the words of Jeffrey, now 21, regarding his participation in the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program, “I feel like it gave me the foundation to start a new life. I used to just sit at home, play video games and talk to my friends, but now I serve and help others. I learned not to hold on to hatred. That’s how we’re supposed to be.”
In Boston, this will be the seventh summer that local Baha’is will offer structured opportunities for spiritual reflection and community service projects for young people of all backgrounds. As one Baha’i website explains, “Their summer service programs enable high school and college aged students to constructively use their vacation time to develop a deeper sense of belonging and spiritual identity. One goal of the summer of service is to help diverse youth understand how to apply the central principle of the Baha’i faith – the oneness of humanity. Participants study the Baha’i teachings on recognizing their inherent virtues and develop their characters in practical ways by engaging in service projects.”
Today, almost 5,000 young people in communities across the country are participating in service projects such as tutoring, beautification projects, food banks, healthy living classes and environmental cleanup. At the same time, they are learning how to think critically and apply spiritual concepts to everyday life.
In the words of the Universal House of Justice, “The contribution made by Baha’is is distinguished by its focus on building capacity for service; it is an approach founded on faith in the ability of a population to become the protagonists of their own development.”
In the coming weeks, most of the headline grabbers will focus on events which attempt to further polarize our citizens or the people who benefit from such events. But, behind the headlines, a quiet revolution is gaining momentum. Thousands of people – not only Baha’is and not only young people, but those of all religions, ages and races – are learning, praying and serving their communities together, thereby creating a new pattern for the structure of society.
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime member of the Baha’i faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
