Education as Worship: Nurturing Youth Through the Preparation for Social Action Program

In a rapidly changing world, education is often seen as a tool for economic advancement or personal success. But what if education could also be a form of worship? What if learning was not only about acquiring skills, but also about cultivating the capacity to serve others, build communities, and foster unity?

This is the vision behind the Preparation for Social Action (PSA) program — a community-based educational initiative that has been central to the work of the Inshindo Foundation since its inception in 2006. Rooted in the Bahá’í principle that “education is worship,” PSA aims to raise youth who are both intellectually capable and spiritually grounded — young people who see themselves not merely as students, but as agents of social transformation.

A New Approach to Learning

Unlike traditional education systems that focus heavily on rote learning or individual achievement, PSA is built around the integration of theory and practice, science and spirituality, personal growth and collective service. The program uses 12 core texts, grouped into six thematic blocks, which explore language, mathematics, science, and the dynamics of community life — all anchored in a vision of service to humanity.

Each text is more than just a book — it is a conversation starter, a tool for reflection, and a guide to action. Participants don’t study alone; they come together in study groups led by trained tutors who guide discussions and encourage peer-to-peer learning. These groups are often intergenerational and rooted directly in local communities — in villages, towns, and peri-urban neighborhoods across Zambia and the surrounding region.

A Growing Movement

Since the first PSA groups were launched in Kabwe, the program has grown steadily across Zambia and into neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. Tutors who graduate often become leaders in their own right — starting new groups, mentoring peers, and extending the impact of the program far beyond its original scope.

Inshindo Foundation supports this growth through ongoing training, periodic seminars, and coordination with regional and national Bahá’í institutions. In 2011, the first PSA graduates in Zambia marked a significant milestone, demonstrating that sustained commitment to youth development can ripple outward to influence whole communities.
 

More Than a Curriculum

PSA is not just a program — it is a process. It’s a process of empowerment, of learning to read the needs of one’s environment and respond with insight and humility. It encourages youth to ask: What does my community need? What can I contribute? How do I build a life that balances knowledge, values, and action?

As the world faces complex social and environmental challenges, the PSA program offers a hopeful alternative — one where education is not just about upward mobility, but about uplifting everyone. One where service is not an extracurricular activity, but a way of life.

Through the voices and actions of its participants, PSA continues to embody the belief that every human being is a mine rich in gems of inestimable value — and that with the right support, these gems can be uncovered, polished, and shared with the world.