49th ABS Annual Conference: Full Schedule

10:30am MDT

Logic, in Service of Spiritual Education

Saturday August 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am MDT

Although intellectual pursuits and scientific inquiry are encouraged in the Baha’i Faith, offering a harmonizing counterpart to religion, what is the role of reasoning in spiritual development? This session examines the centrality of logic and reasoning in spiritual education, drawing from past Holy Scriptures and Bahá’í Writings. Together, we will explore ways such a capacity can be developed, and will reflect on its implications on the spiritual education of children and youth, and our engagement in community and social discourse. Additionally, we will discuss how studying the logic in Baha’i Writings can facilitate meaningful and coherent contributions to ethics-based curricula.

Speakers

Hoda Ghadirian

Hoda Ghadirian is a high school educator with over twenty years of experience teaching science, math and ethics. Throughout her career, she has been involved in the collaborative development of curricula focused on social justice, ethics, and global citizenship, as well as in enhancing... Read More →

Saturday August 2, 2025 10:30am - 11:45am MDT
TBA

Education, Breakout

2:00pm MDT

Parenting with Purpose: Integrating Spiritual Growth and Parenting

Saturday August 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT

TBA

Contemporary psychological theories of parenting, which inform scientific research and advice, rarely address spiritual education and often rely on individualistic frameworks. In contrast, the Bahá’í Teachings place spiritual education at the center of a child’s development and society’s transformation. This session will explore how the Bahá’í view of a two-fold moral purpose offers a unique conceptual framework for parenting and fostering spiritual growth in children. We will examine how this perspective interacts with current scientific knowledge and informs parenting practices, as well as how it can contribute to conversations with others about spiritual and moral development.

Speakers

Victoria Talwar

Dr. Victoria Talwar is a Professor, Canada Research Chair (I), and Director of the Gold Centre for Early Childhood Development at McGill University. Her research is in the area of developmental psychology with an emphasis on social-cognitive development and moral development.

Saturday August 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA

Education, Breakout

3:30pm MDT

The Pedagogy of Higher Education

Saturday August 2, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT

TBA

On most college and university campuses today, there is an evolving professional discourse on pedagogy for higher education. How are insights and experiences gained through the training institute and related educational endeavors informing the pedagogy of those who teach in higher education? What might we contribute, in this regard, to the prevalent discourse on higher educational pedagogy? Also, what are we learning about bringing Bahá’í insights and experiences to bear in the content of relevant courses? And what are the pedagogical principles that might guide and justify such efforts?

Speakers

Mariam Ashtiani

Julia Berger

Adjunct Faculty, Montclair State University

Julia Berger teaches in the Department of Religion at Montclair State University in Montclair NJ -- a public research university, designated as Hispanic Serving Institution. Julia has served as Secretary of the Association for Baha'i Studies, Principal Researcher at the Baha'i International... Read More →

Michael Karlberg

Michael Karlberg is a professor of Communication Studies at Western Washington University. His scholarship interrogates the intellectual foundations of Western civilization, including conceptions of human nature, power, social organization, and social change. His first book, Beyond... Read More →

Derik Smith

Derik Smith chairs the Literature Department at Claremont McKenna College. His work focuses on analysis of American culture and, particularly, African American literary culture. He is the author of many articles and the book, Robert Hayden In Verse: New Histories of African American... Read More →

Negin Toosi

Negin Toosi is an Associate Professor of psychology at California State University – East Bay. She is an experimental social psychologist with a focus on diversity and intergroup relations. Her research has been featured in Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Experimental Social... Read More →

Saturday August 2, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA

Education, Breakout

3:30pm MDT

The Role of Service-learning in the Moral and Intellectual Empowerment of Youth

Saturday August 2, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT

TBA

This presentation examines the role of service-learning in the moral and intellectual empowerment of students in a Baha’i-inspired secondary school. Elements our service-learning framework includes a school culture of service and moral capability development, the implementation of “The World Citizenship Curriculum”, and collaboration with the Baha’i Training Institute. Through this framework, students translate knowledge into meaningful service, nurture moral development and enhance understanding of and commitment to addressing social realities. We will discuss the impact of this framework on students, questions and challenges and its implications for the discourse on education.

Speakers

Tahirih Naylor

Tahirih Naylor has a law degree in international, comparative and transnational law. She was a representative for the Baha’i International Community at the United Nations for four years then went on to become an Associate Professor at Brescia University. She is currently the Chair... Read More →

Gordon Naylor

Gordon Naylor has completed graduate studies in international education and educational administration. Mr.Naylor is the the Executive Director of his privately owned social service agency for residential treatment which now employs more than three hundred and fifty employees and... Read More →

Sonja Rowhani

Sonja Rowhani has a M.Sc. in Computer Science. She currently serves as Vice Principal at Nancy Campbell Academy. Her interests lie at the intersection and integration of spiritual and material education.

Shabnam Tashakour

Shabnam Tashakour has an M.A. in Child Studies and Education and is a Certified Teacher in Ontario. She has worked in the field of Education and community development both within and outside of the Baha’i community. She is currently teaching and coordinating the service-learning... Read More →

Saturday August 2, 2025 3:30pm - 4:45pm MDT
TBA

Education, Breakout

10:30am MDT

2:00pm MDT

3:30pm MDT

3:30pm MDT

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