Then & Now
An in-depth look at Sangh youth participation
Suryaraj Jain, Ashna Bhansali
Jain centers around the nation are continuously seeking involvement from younger folks to secure a strong future. This is often reflected in an effort to engage and instill strong foundational values in their youth. After talking to the Jain Society of Metropolitan Washington (JSMW) and Jain Sangh of Greater Austin (JSGA), we noticed patterns in their journeys which showed that despite their difference in size (JSMW is at about 2000 people, while JSGA nears 300), both centers have faced similar paths in growing youth participation since they were created.
Today, we’ll take a deeper dive into how these Jain centers have evolved, with a focus on youth programs and Pathshala participation.
Growing a Pathshala
At JSMW and JSGA, Pathshala programs were started with about 15–20 students. With few attendees, the programs consisted of just one class and students representing a wide range of ages and skill levels. However, as the number of students steadily increased over time, so did class divisions; both programs now have over 60 students. In fact, JSMW is nearing 160 Pathshala students.
How did these centers garner interest as the years went by, culminating in such high involvement? Surprisingly, there was no complicated marketing strategy, and many centers grew their Pathshala classes simply by word of mouth. As more families moved to the area and parents enrolled their children into Pathshala, others became interested in joining to provide spiritual education to their families. Pathshala became a topic of discussion during Jain center functions, such as monthly Pujas and major occasions (Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan/Das Lakshan, etc.), where kids would participate in programs, socialize, and parents would spread the word to their friends. Eventually, word of Pathshala reached beyond strictly Jain functions, leading JSGA to even gain a few non-Jain Pathshala students!
It’s certainly no surprise that major occasions increase participation, especially for the youth who can volunteer during these events. JSMW saw a youth-driven group (Jain Youth of the Capital) make a large difference in increasing motivation and leadership from the youth. By organizing socials, community service events, and smaller, youth-only religious events (such as Navkar Jaaps and open discussions about Jainism), this organization has significantly benefited the spirit of the youth in the D.C. area. Additionally, Vibha Mehta from JSGA believes that having youth leaders, especially as Pathshala teachers, is crucial for increasing engagement with younger generations because students are able to relate to leaders that are closer to their age.
Challenges from the Pandemic
Unfortunately, after the centers garnered all of this youth interest, COVID-19 threatened to undo much of their hard work due to a forced transition to a virtual environment. Pathshala classes in particular were heavily affected by the pandemic, as they transitioned to Zoom classes, like other educational institutions around the world. However, these challenges were eventually overcome, and the pandemic even ended up strengthening the youth programs and Pathshala. For example, JSGA saw more attendance in their Pathshala program after switching to a virtual setting, while JSMW was able to create more meaningful relationships within the youth group.
Further Youth Involvement
Of course, none of this could be possible without support from parents and adult volunteers, who motivated their children to go to Pathshala and held youth-focused events. While Jain centers have been promoting the value of Pathshala and youth programs to parents, they are now shifting to creating events that directly cater to the youth in hopes of enticing them to join by themselves. JSMW has successfully started multiple programs, such as wellness programs, women’s groups, and career fairs for the youth. These are just a few solutions they have implemented to encourage more participation by the youth, eventually leading to more youth involvement.
Monica Shah from JSMW recommends having a candid conversation with the youth in order to increase engagement. To build reciprocal relationships in the community between different generations, it is important to ask what kinds of programs the youth wish to attend. In return, the youth attend events and volunteer at the Jain center. This ensures that events are appealing and increases attendance.
Takeaways
All of this leads up to one point: What can an up-and-coming Jain center do to better engage their local youth? From our findings, there are few takeaways:
- Have current members get more involved by incentivizing them to send their kids to Pathshala.
- Start programs that engage specific demographics. It is often difficult to get older kids involved in Pathshala and the youth program, so it is important to adopt a curriculum that appeals to that age group.
- If students are intrinsically motivated to attend events and classes, it will create a healthier community in the long run because there will not be any external pressure to attend. Whether it be wellness events, networking opportunities, or any Jainism-related programs catered to the youth, they would benefit from giving back to the community and staying engaged with their respective centers.
A special thank you to Vibha Mehta from Austin, TX and Monica Shah from Washington D.C. for helping us with this article!
