A journey of growth: Youth reflect on a transformative summer of service 

Across the country, youth are arising to dedicate a portion of their summer to service. Many of these youth have regularly attended institute camps during school breaks—designed to provide youth with a space for spiritual growth, community service, and learning—where they study the Ruhi Institute courses and develop capacities for service to their community.

In Southern California, the Southeast subregion has been consistently hosting camps over the past year for Bahá’í youth and their friends, with 24 youth participating in the summer of service program. As a result, a new learning process is developing on how the greater community can accompany Bahá’í youth on a path of service. 

Samir Dalal, a coordinator for these institute camps, shares that their summer service program supports two goals: deepening the spiritual capacities of youth and empowering neighborhoods to strengthen their community-building activities. “We structured an eight-day institute camp with intensive study of Ruhi courses, field activities, and storytelling,” he explains. “Afterward, the youth [went] into neighborhoods for three weeks of service.”

Dalal highlights the importance of tailoring the experience to the specific needs of the youth and their local areas. For example, two youth from Oceanside participated in an expansion phase in Santa Ana to learn about systematically growing junior youth groups. Upon returning home, they initiated new activities, including a children’s class and a junior youth group.

He explains that the summer of service program provides youth with a unique opportunity to learn together, deepen their relationship with Bahá’u’lláh, and develop habits like prayer and study of the Bahá’í Writings that strengthen them for future service.

In Atlanta, the summer of service program has also grown significantly, focusing on empowering teams of youth to engage in pockets of their communities. Sophia Norton, a participant, described the program’s structure: “We started with a two-week institute camp, where we studied together and planned our activities. For the next six weeks, we served in neighborhoods near the Bahá’í Unity Center, reconnecting with families and reflecting on our contribution to the spiritual education of our community.”

Both regions are witnessing the transformative impact of youth-led service, fostering unity and spiritual growth across diverse communities.

Isaias Chavez, 17, Oceanside, CA

“Initially, I wasn’t planning on joining because it felt like  a big commitment—an entire month,” Chavez says. “But I decided to give it a try, and it ended up being the highlight of my year. We spent weeks knocking on doors, meeting families, and inviting them to activities. What stood out to me was seeing how a community can grow when people commit themselves to serving others.”

“When I came home, I felt motivated to start something in my own neighborhood. Inspired by what I saw in Santa Ana, we began a children’s class, and it’s now a weekly activity. It’s amazing to see the connections forming and to feel like we’re building something meaningful.”

Chavez encourages other youth to participate: “This experience builds your confidence, brings you closer to God, and shows you how much you can contribute to others. It’s something every youth should try.”

Ben Tennant, 17, Chula Vista, CA 

At his parent’s encouragement, Tennant first got involved by attending an institute camp in May. Between the spring camp and the summer, Tennant was inspired and began regularly visiting a local neighborhood in National City helping with junior youth groups. “I got to practice knocking on doors and inviting people to the programs.”

Through the summer of service program, Tennant helped organize and run junior youth groups, often spending weekends reaching out to families and introducing them to the Bahá’í teachings.

“The biggest thing for me is forming habits. That’s the thing I struggle with. The Ruhi process helps with that, especially in Book 1: Reflections on the Life of the Spirit with reading the Writings and praying daily.”

To other youth considering joining an institute camp, Tennant has this advice: “Just go for it. Even if it’s scary or if you don’t think you have time. Make time and just try it. It’s 100 percent worth it.”

Maya Panahi, 18, Orange County, CA

“I started going to institute camps about a year ago,” Panahi says. “Honestly, the thought of going to these camps always really intimidated me.”

However, after her first institute camp, Panahi experienced a transformation. “Something clicked, and I realized [service] is something I need my life to be centered around.” Initially, Panahi hesitated to join the summer service program, feeling that, “it was a lot of time, and I was kind of scared to commit to it.” By the end of the camp, she approached Dalal and asked if she could join.

Reflecting on her experience, she says, “I had never been that immersed in constant service. To be in a neighborhood with such intense activity felt amazing. Every morning, we’d study and deepen, then plan and go out for outreach, mostly focused on forming a new junior youth group.” 

When describing learning alongside other youth Panahi says, “I feel like we really get our courage from each other. We’re all kind of finding our own different places to serve.”

“I began to really trust in God. This wasn’t just us doing our thing; it was God working through us.” She recalls praying with her team each day, “reminding myself to put my 100 percent effort into it and trust the results to God.” 

Now, Panahi co-animates (helps facilitate) a junior youth group in her own community. She encourages other youth to take the leap, saying, “All you need is a tiny bit of courage. There’s an amazing community waiting to walk this path with you.”

Sophia Norton, 21, Atlanta, GA

Norton’s summer of service experience began with a two-week institute camp, where youth studied Ruhi courses, prepared for service, and built a sense of unity. “The camp set the foundation for the next six weeks,” Norton explains. 

The institute camp was followed by a two week camp for children and junior youth that was run by the summer of service youth.

A key highlight for Norton was observing the transformations in children, junior youth, and even the animators themselves. “Every day, we reflected on the spiritual qualities we saw emerging in the junior youth and children. By the end of the summer, families could see how their kids were growing—not just academically but spiritually.”

Norton shares that the program was about more than starting activities. “We wanted every household to have a connection to the word of God. For some, that meant children’s classes or junior youth groups. For others, it was devotional gatherings or simply getting to know us through conversations.”

Maekaylia Jackson, 22, Metro-Atlanta, GA

Reflecting on her decision to serve, Jackson says, “I had participated in the summer of service in 2023 and enjoyed it, so I was eager to do it again. I also wanted to build on what I had learned in last year’s summer of service about true friendship and unity of vision and action. I know that the summer is a special time to connect with children, junior youth, and youth because of school being out and many people having so much free time.”

During the two-week summer program for children and junior youth, Jackson’s role focused on outreach, co-animating junior youth, and collaboratively planning the camp. Through this service, she observed growth in herself and the children and junior youth they met in their neighborhood. “I really saw myself grow in patience, steadfastness, self-reflection, and ability to work collaboratively with others,” she says. 

The youth noticed beautiful transformations in the junior youth and children as well, Jackson says. “It was such a beautiful example of the Revelation of Baha’u’llah to see children that we had met 14  days ago calling to mind stories of Abdu’l Baha [when] navigating interpersonal conflict. Junior youth were growing closer to their animators through direct 1-1 accompaniment to strive for higher degrees of excellent participation within the camp.”

Her advice to other youth considering a summer of service is clear: “Just do it! There are so many things in life that could distract you from service and from the fact that the purpose we were all created is to work together to build a better world. If you have the means, take the chance! Even if you feel wary going into it, service grows you in ways that you can never predict and will always be grateful for. Even if you don’t think that you have the means (time, opportunity, etc) consult with institutions around or near you to think about how those perceived boundaries can be removed.”