The Jackson Tennessee Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment program was launched in February 2014, with around 15 junior youth in attendance each week from the Chapel Ridge Apartment neighborhood. Friendships were formed with the apartment managers who gave the Baha’is an empty apartment in which to hold group sessions. A few months later, Laura’s Garden Children’s Classes were added, with a total of approximately 28 children and junior youth in attendance each week. Great efforts are being made to train resources inside the neighborhood to serve as future animators and children’s class teachers.
On June 28, 2014, the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment program, sponsored by the Baha’is of Jackson Tennessee, along with the support and collaboration of the management of Chapel Ridge Apartment complex, hosted a large outdoor extravaganza for all of the residents and participants of the Spiritual Empowerment Program, celebrating unity in diversity with live music, games, face painting, and food.
Through activities guided and initiated by the Baha’i community, junior youth gather weekly to explore themes and questions characteristic to the period of youth, to act on their developing sense of responsibility towards building community, and strengthen their understanding of the importance of faith and tenacity to a life of service. With a vibrant spirit and focused determination, youth from all backgrounds that engage these activities build their capacity to respond with wisdom, courage, and humility in addressing the ills currently facing society, their neighborhood and community.
The most important goal for the extravaganza was to identify animators and residents to begin a reflection gathering. One youth in her 20’s stated that she, “Can’t wait to begin working with the junior youth program,” while a mother of a 17 year old teenager expressed her desire for her daughter to become an animator.
With over 200 in attendance, many traveled from Nashville, Franklin, Springhill, Brentwood, and Memphis, to join in celebration with the residents of Chapel Ridge and the junior youth from the program. Live music was provide by Eric Dozier, whose programs assist communities in developing creative, transformative platforms from which to launch dynamic acts of service to humanity by exploring the confluence of music, community, education and activism.
Patrick Willis, Administration Deputy Chief of the Jackson Police Department gave a short talk on the significance of working with our youth who are the hope of future generations. In private conversation with the Baha’is, he emphasized how this junior youth program can help keep teens out of gangs and focused on positive change. Harrell Carter, President of the Jackson Madison County NAACP along with Councilman Ernest Brooks also spoke and acknowledged the community’s responsibilities to our youth by commending the facilitators of the Spiritual Empowerment program and the Chapel Ridge management who support the program.