‘A youth-led initiative’: Canning young people learn how to propel forward process of spiritual education
A group of young people in Canning, Western Australia is learning how to engage children and families in the spiritual educational process unfolding in their neighbourhood.
Originally considering launching a junior youth camp, the youth soon realised there were more children in their area and decided to focus on the process of children’s spiritual education as a priority.
“A few of the youth meet up and have a team meeting and at one of these team meetings we decided to have a junior youth day camp to invite people from around the neighbourhood and invite more JY groups,” said one of the Canning youth.
“We realised there were far more children in the neighbourhoood so we decided to shift the idea from junior youth camps to a children’s festival.”
“It was very much a youth-led initiative,” said another youth. “We got all these skills of how to plan together.
“We learnt quite a few things from the cycles of expansion. We went out to meet our neighbours [and] we had great conversations about what they thought the needs were.”
Following up to three weeks of conversations with their neighbours, planning and reflection, the children’s festival attracted about 40 children and was based on the theme of unity. The youth are now learning about how to keep the families connected to the process, rather than simply hosting festivals during the holiday period.
Watch the full video below:
Thanks for reading.
Subscribe
Perth
The Perth Baha’i community is comprised of a number of Local Spiritual Assemblies that guide the administrative affairs of the Faith and oversee the community-building activities unfolding across the city, working alongside hundreds of people in a bid to contribute towards the betterment of the world.
Published in April, 2025, in Community Stories > Community Building
Available online at: horizons.bahai.org.au/community-stories/a-youth-led-initiative-canning-young-people-learn-how-to-propel-forward-process-of-spiritual-education/
Related Stories
Tai Chi, calligraphy and crochet – family camp forges friendships in WA southwest
A group of families in regional Western Australia are learning how collaboration and mutual support are key to progress. Over three days in April, more than 80 participants gathered in the ...
A tapestry of service: Weaving a community of belonging on the Gold Coast
In the heart of the Gold Coast, a vibrant story of community-building is unfolding, woven together by threads of service, language, and a shared yearning for connection. It began in March 2020, ...
‘Always with the outlook of service’: Artistic endeavour introduces families to junior youth program
A creative initiative in the community of Byron in northern New South Wales is providing a “safe space” for families to gather and explore how to create a vibrant and holistic society. The ...
Sippy Downs: A community cultivating connection and change
Sippy Downs is a dynamic suburb nestled in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland. A vibrant community experiencing significant growth and change, it has an approximate population of 12,000 ...
West Australian youth inspired to build stronger communities
About 250 youth have come together as part of the West Australian Youth Conference, coinciding with a broader state-wide initiative to mobilise, support, and intensify youth service efforts ...
A self-sustaining system: When our children become children’s class teachers
The Ballarat Baha’i community has witnessed how the Baha’i institute process serves as a an “ever-expanding, self-sustaining system for the spiritual edification of a population”1 with its junior ...