Education
Spiritual Education for Children and Youth
The
Bahá’í writings attach great importance to the periods of childhood and
youth, providing clear guidance to parents and communities to raise
children in a nurturing and unambiguous environment. Youth are
encouraged to develop a strong sense of purpose, empowering their own
transformation and leading them to contribute to the advancement of
society. Young people's spiritual capacity, the basis for their own
happiness and sense of well-being, is a powerful force for social
change.
Bahá'ís believe that moral, spiritual, and values-based
training for children and youth is essential in order to nurture these
capacities. Thus, Bahá'í communities sponsor moral education classes
for children and youth of all backgrounds. The classes seek to develop
essential virtues such as the knowledge of God, trustworthiness,
honesty, and justice. They aim to build a strong moral framework that
will assist children to achieve excellence in material, intellectual,
and spiritual aspects of life.
Neighborhood School
Bahá'í classes are most often held in the neighborhood or area where a Bahá'í family resides. While informal, they are structured with a clear curriculum. Subjects include moral values, truthfulness, love, prayer, service to humanity and peace, as inspired by the Bahá'í Faith and the other major world religions. Teachers are oftne parents themselves, who have followed a course in providing these classes for their own children and their neighborhood friends. Classes are open to people from all backgrounds and all faiths.
Hillsborough
As of 2009, a neighborhood class is held weekly/bi-weekly in the Belle Mead section of town. Contact Mrs. Nishat Ruiter for more information.