Dorchester Junior Youth Group
Ages 12 to 15
When Weekly, email us for current times
Where Dorchester
RSVP: info@bostonbahais.orgJunior youth group · Ages 12 to 15 · Dorchester and East Boston
A youth group for teens in Boston
Weekly groups in Dorchester and East Boston where teens build leadership through service, guided by mentors from their own neighborhood.
Youth groups in Boston
Two groups, meeting in Boston neighborhoods
Two youth groups meet weekly in Boston, one in Dorchester and one in East Boston. They gather in homes and community spaces rather than a religious building, and they are led by animators, older youth and young adults who live in the same neighborhoods as the teens they mentor. Groups run about 90 minutes a week.
A session moves between three things. Teens study material that builds language and reasoning skills through stories about young people facing real decisions. They plan and carry out service in their own neighborhoods. They spend time on art, sports, and cooperative games, which is where the friendships actually form.
The Baha'i community calls this the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, a model used in more than a hundred countries. The premise is that twelve to fifteen year olds are capable of contributing to their communities now, not a problem to be managed until they turn eighteen. Boston families of every background take part, and most are not Baha'i.
Active groups
Currently meeting
East Boston Junior Youth Group
Ages 12 to 15
When Weekly, email us for current times
Where East Boston
RSVP: info@bostonbahais.orgIn the neighborhood
Leadership that starts on your own block
Leadership here is not a workshop or a title. Teens pick something their neighborhood needs, plan how to do it, and carry it out together with their animator alongside them.
That work is small on purpose. Tutoring younger children, checking in on neighbors, organizing a cleanup. A teen who has done a few of these stops seeing their neighborhood as something that happens to them.
The friendships hold it together. Teens in these groups challenge each other, serve together, and hold each other to a standard that is higher than what the rest of the week asks of them.
Find a group near you
Common questions
Questions Boston parents ask
Which Boston neighborhoods have youth groups?
Two groups meet in Boston right now, one in Dorchester and one in East Boston. If you live somewhere else in the city, get in touch anyway. We will connect you with whichever group is closest, or help start one in your neighborhood if a few families are interested.
Is this a leadership program?
Yes, though not the kind that hands out certificates. Teens choose service projects for their own neighborhood, plan them, and carry them out, with a mentor working alongside rather than directing. The leadership comes from doing the thing, week after week, with people who take you seriously.
My child is 11. Can they join?
Sometimes, depending on maturity and readiness. Some 11 year olds do well in a youth group, and others are better served by our children's classes for another year. Reach out and we will help you figure out which fits.
How is this different from a church youth group?
There is no religious instruction and no expectation of belief. The material explores character, purpose, and service, themes that show up in every tradition, and it draws on Baha'i teachings without teaching doctrine. Most participants are not Baha'i, and nobody is asked to join anything.
How does this fit alongside school and other activities?
It fits as a complement. The group meets once a week for about 90 minutes, so teens in Boston public and charter schools do it alongside sports, music, and tutoring. What it adds is the part most schedules leave out, which is regular time on character and purpose with a mentor and a steady group of peers.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. There are no fees and no donations are expected. The Baha'i community treats the development of young people as a shared responsibility rather than a service to be sold.
Get started
Find a youth group for your teen in Boston
Tell us which neighborhood you live in and a little about your teen. We will connect you with the closest group and walk you through what a first visit looks like.
A real person will follow up within a few days.