Every summer, Canadian Baha’is from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island host regional “schools” open to the public. With programs designed for children, youth and adults, regional schools provide a range of opportunities to explore spiritual topics in a relaxed and fun environment, with ample time for socializing, recreation and study.
The schools generally feature both prominent Baha’i speakers and participatory workshops to engage everyone in collective learning. Music and the arts are often highlighted at the schools, which can be week-long or weekend events.
This year the Baha’i Council of Ontario will host family day schools in both the Greater Toronto and London areas during the first weekend in August. The program at both schools will focus on Baha’u’llah’s instruction to “Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.” Sessions will highlight the application of spiritual principles emphasized in the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, such as the eternal covenant of God, non-involvement in partisan politics and education in the “Right of God”, a Baha’i law that assists individuals to consecrate their material wealth to the betterment of the world.
On the same weekend, a residential school will be held at the Galilee Centre in Arnprior, Ontario, near Ottawa. With the theme “Adopting a new Posture of Learning,” the program will include speakers and facilitated sessions on the systematic study of the creative word of God; the application of spiritual principles to the problems of this age; the Baha’i teachings on non-involvement in partisan politics; marriage and family life; and the Right of God.
Information on the Ontario schools is available at www.seasonalschools.org.
While schools held in the Maritimes and parts of British Columbia have already been completed, schools yet to be held across Canada include:
The Saskatchewan Baha’i Summer School to be held at Hitchcock’s Hideway at Lake Diefenbaker from July 24-26. (Contact Susan at 306-329-4681 or email skp@sasktel.net for information.)
The Newfoundland Summer School to be held July 26-31. (Email david_hallett@yahoo.com for information.)
The Thompson Nicola Baha’i School in Clearwater, B.C., August 6-9, the Uncha Lake Baha’i School at Uncha Lake, B.C., July 31-August 3, and the Comox Valley Baha’i School to be held August 21-23 at Black Creek B.C. (Information for all the B.C. schools is available online at www.bahaischools.org.)
Family Week at the Sylvan Lake Baha’i Centre near Sylvan Lake, Alberta, will be held August 16-22. Information on several schools and camps available at Sylvan Lake can be found at www.slbc.info.
The Quebec Baha’i Summer School is offered in French only at Camp Val Notre-Dame from August 20-23. Information is available from conseilbahaiqc@videotron.ca.
Baha’i Schools have a long history, dating back to summer conferences held at the Green Acre facility at Eliot, Maine in the early years of the 20th century. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of Baha’u’llah and head of the Baha’i Community after the death of his father, visited Green Acre in 1912 during his historic trip to the United States and Canada.
The Green Acre model was later copied in other parts of the world, starting Germany in 1931, Australia in 1937, Britain in 1936, and India in 1938. Such schools have now proliferated throughout the world and are a mainstay of Baha’i Community life.
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, also stressed the value of attending summer schools. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a high spiritual and intellectual standard and expressed a hope that Baha’i schools would one day evolve into Baha’i universities.
Individuals and families of all faiths, or no particular faith tradition, are welcome to attend Baha’i schools to learn about Baha’i perspectives on spiritual and social issues and to experience Baha’i community life. Additional information is available from local Baha’i communities, which typically publish contact numbers and web addresses in local telephone books.
(In addition to summer schools, many other Baha’i activities are taking place this summer that combines study, the arts and forging closer bonds. The pictures were taken during one of these summer initiatives in the month of July).