In our youth programs, youth 15 and older learn to work with those younger than themselves as mentors and teachers, through training that advances their intellectual and moral capacities.
The Youth Empowerment Program at Strive Youth Education Center is designed to release the latent potential of youth as active protagonists of spiritual and material transformation in their communities. Through a sequence of courses developed by the Ruhi Institute, young people are empowered to walk a path of service characterized by increasingly complex acts of service, learning to work with those younger than themselves as mentors and teachers through training that advances their intellectual and moral capacities. Rather than viewing youth merely as passive recipients of knowledge or consumers of culture, the program honors their inherent nobility, walking with them as they learn to analyze the social forces around them and channel their vibrant energy toward community building.
At the core of this educational process is the realization of a two-fold purpose: to foster personal spiritual and intellectual growth while simultaneously contributing to the transformation of society. By accompanying younger peers, facilitating meaningful study, and carrying out community service projects, youth come to recognize that they have the power in their hands to re-create the world around them. As more and more youth become committed to the vision of individual and collective transformation fostered by the Ruhi Institute’s courses, capacity is gradually built in the community to reflect a pattern of life that places at its heart service and unity.
Young people stand at the forefront of humanity’s movement through this age of transition. They are inheriting a world marked by rapid technological change, social fragmentation, and profound uncertainty, yet also by unprecedented possibilities for cooperation, learning, and collective advancement.
Their aspirations, questions, and capacities will shape the character of the emerging civilization. To navigate this moment, youth need more than technical skills or personal drive; they require environments that nurture clarity of purpose, moral insight, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of their communities.
The period of youth is a formative stage in which identity, worldview, and patterns of action take shape. It is a time when the desire to understand the world and to participate in its transformation is especially strong. Many young people find themselves caught between competing messages, conflicting expectations, and social forces that pull toward distraction, cynicism, or disengagement. Supporting youth is not simply a matter of providing services or opportunities; it necessarily involves helping them to develop the capacities that enable them to read their reality with discernment and to act with coherence and purpose. Strive’s Youth Empowerment Program is grounded in this understanding. It seeks to accompany young people as they learn to think critically, to engage in meaningful inquiry, to work collaboratively with others, and to translate their insights into constructive action.
As young people walk a path of service together, study and action go hand-in-hand. Explore the waypoints below to learn more about the courses developed by the Ruhi Institute designed to empower youth as protagonists of change.
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit begins with a question of identity — who is the "I" that walks this path? As the foundational course in the Ruhi sequence, this course explores human purpose, spiritual identity, and prayer. Through study and reflection, participants nurture a personal devotional life while building their capacity for meaningful conversations with those around them.
Arising to Serve focuses on the art of meaningful conversation and the joy found in serving others. It prepares participants to visit friends and neighbors in their homes, building ties of fellowship and exploring themes of spiritual and social importance together.
Teaching Children’s Classes focuses on the moral education of the youngest members of society, recognizing children as the primary treasure of any community. It prepares participants to conduct classes that nurture moral qualities such as truthfulness, justice, and love through stories, songs, games, and art.
Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth addresses a critical stage of life, helping participants understand the unique potential of young people aged 11 to 14. It prepares individuals to serve as animators, guiding junior youth as they develop their intellectual and moral capacities, navigate social forces, and carry out meaningful community service.
Walking Together on a Path of Service prepares participants to serve as tutors of study circles, creating spaces where individuals reflect on spiritual concepts and build their capacity to serve alongside one another.
Diana describes her journey from reluctance to joy as she became an animator for a junior youth group.
To every generation of youth comes an opportunity to make a contribution to the fortunes of humanity, unique to their time of life. For the present generation, the moment has come to reflect, to commit, to steel themselves for a life of service from which blessings will flow in abundance.
Contact us to find a study circle in your area or to become trained as a tutor.
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