Youth from all over the world have found themselves at home with schools closed due to the high infectious rate of the Coronavirus. In response, the Transformative Leadership Education team, coordinating with the Wilmette Institute, offered a free 6-week online seminar that empowers junior youth and youth, ages 11-17, for social action, based on the books Transformative Leadership for Youth and Transformative Leadership: Developing the Hidden Dimension. Our goal was to create an online creative learning group that would empower young people in their path toward personal and social transformation and foster their attraction to beauty and innate thirst for knowledge, by integrating the Transformative Leadership conceptual framework with photography and multimedia arts.
The response was immediate and fantastic! Approximately 115 youth and junior youth signed up in the first two days, and the Wilmette Institute had to close registration for the first cohort. However, since youth and their parents continued writing, asking to participate, almost immediately we decided to start another group in May, for which pre-registration is now available at bit.ly/TL4YWait. If you know any youth who may be interested, they should sign up as soon as possible, while there is still space available.
In light of our current reality with many youth living in communities that have issued statewide stay home orders, we divided the junior youth and youth into two groups to ensure that all who registered were able to fully engage. We then invited several individuals who were familiar with Transformative Leadership to guide breakout sessions in each group, in which 8-10 youth participate. In our sessions, the youth have the opportunity to study together while strengthening new and past friendships. Many offer each other suggestions on how to cope with the difficulty of not being able to go out, while others find enjoyment when learning is translated through the sharing of art.
Our study is complemented with art projects that empower youth to see with their own eyes and develop basic skills in photography and multimedia arts. By integrating photography, drawing, music, creative writing, and art journaling, the youth translate learning into action that inspires others for positive change. Art from our first project was recently shared in which youth had the choice to photograph their family’s eyes and/or draw an eye with pencil.
In the first week, participants examined the twin processes of disintegration and integration that are caused by humanity’s rejection or acceptance of the transformation process, propelling us into a new stage of existence…a world civilization that is unified and just.
One of the junior youth was inspired to create art that highlighted how we can choose to respond to the challenges we face in today’s world, becoming part of the problem, remaining passive spectators, or choosing to be agents of transformation, consciously contributing to cooperation and unity in our personal, interpersonal, and societal relationships.
The artist states: “This image shows a strong leader who is helping to bring together the spectators and destructive forces to make positive changes along with her.”
Another exciting and empowering component of the Transformative Leadership seminar are the special guests. On Tuesday, Eric Harper – Canadian composer, musician, music engineer and producer — joined our seminar to offer his support, guidance, and advice for youth who are interested in developing skills with music. After introducing Eric’s passion for service and his love for music that is expressed through his style that integrates Flamenco, Fado, Rock, Pop, and Bossa Nova traditions with passion and purpose, Eric asked the youth, “What inspires you? What are you guys interested in? How can I help?”
One youth immediately responded, “I play guitar during the musical portions of study circles and devotional meetings. I would like to take my music to the next level. Do you have any advice?” From that point on, the youth asked questions relating to the purpose of music, where inspiration comes from, and how to write songs. Eric has offered to facilitate a regular music group with interested youth to assist them in developing their instrumental and vocal skills. The group will be writing songs with plans to produce an original piece by the end of the seminar.
On Friday, Dr. Deborah Rana presented facts and responded to questions about the Corona Virus for seminar participants. The youth had many questions relating to how they can ensure the safety of those that are most susceptible to the virus and how best to navigate channels for accurate up-to-date information.
On behalf of the Transformative Leadership Education team, we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the empowerment and well-being of the youth who are participating in this program and filled with joy to be a part of the dynamic power and vision of the youth. We are also grateful to the Wilmette Institute for providing an online platform for learning and to all our facilitators and special guests.