Course Details

Fostering Personal Development and Social Progress-- A Part Time Four Level Course [ C1 ]

A modular programme for empowering youth to develop a new personality

With moral capabilities, life skills and leadership abilities

Man should be regarded as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. It is through education alone that these gems can be unraveled and enable mankind to benefit there from. These gifts include the capacities, strengths and qualities that are hidden in the mine of every individual. This Course sets to explore these mines and discover their treasures. But it does not end there. Enhancing individual's growth and happiness and promoting the betterment of the world are integrated in “Fostering Personal Development and Social Progress”. Indeed these two constitute the two-fold purpose of moral development.

The emphasis of the course is on building moral capabilities, life skills and leadership abilities. The five components that lead to such abilities include clarifying concepts, practicing necessary skills, developing healthy attitude, strengthening spiritual qualities, and acquiring relevant information. Hence the programme goes beyond “chalk and talk”, and emphasizes practical application of the values and principles in real life situations. Exercises and activities prepare the participants to apply their learning through service learning activities.

The Bahá'í Academy offers this course at 4 progressive Levels. A student can choose any level. 

Level 1: Foundation Level

Duration: 35 hours of contact sessions, 10 hours of practical(s) and 25 hours of Service Learning Activities. The total course should be completed in a minimum 3 months and maximum 1 year

At the Foundation level, students study a module designed to help develop moral capabilities such as: Managing one’s affairs with rectitude of conduct, building environments of unity built on diversity and fostering initiative. Together with this modules is a module on service learning activities that is described below. Training on cooperative learning and Happy Hippo Show are also included.

Level 2: Certificate Level

Duration: 70 hours of contact sessions, 20 hours of practical(s) and 50 hours of Service Learning Activities. The total course should be completed in a minimum 5 months and maximum 2 years

At the certificate level students study, in addition to the foundation level modules, the two moral forces of “Attraction to Beauty” and “Thirst for Knowledge”. The impact of change, forces of destruction and construction, destiny of mankind, Human Rights and Duties and influencing and being influenced by the environment are among other themes of this module.

Level 3: Diploma Level

Duration: 105 hours of contact sessions, 30 hours of practical(s) and 70 hours of Service Learning Activities. The total course should be completed in a minimum 8 months and maximum 3 years

The Diploma level includes the modules of above two courses and includes module Basic Concepts of Education. This module presents eight aspects of education: its nature; aim; the nature of understanding; concepts and information; the twofold purpose of education; investigation of truth; building capabilities; and integration.

Level 4: Advanced Diploma Level

Duration: 140 hours of contact sessions, 40 hours of practical(s) and 100 hours of Service Learning Activities. The total course should be completed in a minimum 12 months and maximum 5 years.

The Advanced Diploma Level, while including the modules of all the previous courses, introduces the concepts of True Happiness, Morality and Spirituality and Promoting Social Harmony and Peace: A Prerequisite for National Development. Action Research: 'How am I improving what I am doing?’ is included in this Course. Students learn preparing a research proposal, conduct research, analyze the data and prepare the report.

Each module at all levels has the following components:

1. Knowledge and Concepts:

• Contact sessions through Cooperative Learning
• Educational and Cooperative Games
• Interactive theatre called Happy Hippo Show
• Home activities for internalizing the concepts and relating them to day to day life

1. Skill Development

• Practical activities for skill development to be carried out in one’s extended family

1. Capability development;

• Application of capabilities through Service Learning Activities at community level

Methodology:

" Tell me and I'll listen. Show me and I'll understand. Involve me and I'll

learn" is a famous say. Interactive, Experiential and Cooperative Learning methods

are used to enhance the learning experience. They involve individual and pair work,

team activities, large group work, individual and group presentations, performing arts,

“Happy Hippo Shows”, educational games, songs and service learning activities. Open-ended

questions abound in order to help participants think both critically and creatively,

explore and look for deeper meanings. Silence and thoughtful reflection as well as noise

and apparent chaos can often be observed. In short, students become active agents of

their own learning and not passive listeners.

Service Learning Activities:

A basic challenge of any educational system is how to overcome the “dichotomy between theoretical and practical knowledge”. All of the Academy’s courses contain a service learning element which helps to strengthen student learning of the concepts through experience. From this module on service learning activities students learn:

• The Concept of service learning
• The Joy of Service
• How to manage a service learning activity through preparation, implementation, evaluation, presentation, and report writing
• Leadership skills
• How to become socially responsible citizens

The service learning activities which the students engage in as part of the course benefit the communities in which they are undertaken in a natural way. These projects initiated in partnership with families and community members, when continued over a longer period empower the inhabitants to develop the necessary vision, unity of thought, know-how and confidence to take charge of their own progress and sustainable development.

Employing Use Of Arts For Social Change:

In November 2002, the Bahá'í Academy started its collaboration with “The Academy of Positive Behavior”, Russia, by introducing the “Happy Hippo Show” as an educational element in the Bahá'í Academy’s programme o f “Education in Universal Human Values”. This interactive art form is now used both during the courses and as an element during students’ Service Learning Activities. Elements of the show Include:

• Presenting moral dilemmas through the use of drama

• Freezing the drama at a moment of critical decision

• Arriving at positive solutions through cooperative discussion between a host and the audience

• Creating a supportive atmosphere in which to discuss serious topics such as drug addiction, or suicide

• Upon conclusion of the drama, discussing points writ-ten on a “Chart of Wisdom” from which the audience learns to recognize a response to the problem which was based on moral principles.

Course Fees: 

Rs.2100/- Per Level

Course Type :	Offline
Duration :	To be announced
Fee :	To be announced