Jain Digest 2018 10

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 38

Young Jains of America Federation of Jain Associations in North America A Non-Profit Tax-Exempt Religious Organization. IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) El #54-1280028 info@yja.org www.yja.org YOUNG JAINS OF AMERICA Jai Jinendra, In 1991, a group of pioneering young Jains came together with a vision to promote and spread Jain values amongst the youth of America. Since then, YJA has continued to spread awareness of Jain values through social, educational, and networking opportunities. Over the years, YJA has grown immensely, connecting over 10,000 young Jains with a passion for bettering their communities and learning about their Jain roots. Throughout the years, YJA has worked hard to create a number of projects and platforms that allow youth to not only learn about Jain principles, but to also connect with them and apply them to their own lives. In these next few pages, we are excited to share with you some of what our organization has accomplished this year. * Our Regional Retreats take place annually in each of the six regions, where Jain youth from around the region and the country meet other young Jains, learn principles and values through educational sessions led by youth, and partake in social and service activities throughout the weekend! Our College Chapters allow for Jain youth in college to connect with one another and get involved with the community on their campuses. Our Young Minds project is a series of online publications, with articles written by young Jains on a variety of topics, ranging from life experiences to Jain and Vegan diets to careers and networking. * YJA Forums allows young Jains from around the country to lead and participate in virtual discus sions on many topics that affect Jain youth in today's day and age. YJA Pathshala brings the Pathshala classroom setting to our youth in an online, easy to understand version, with quick videos and detailed handouts that allow anyone to learn about Jainism! * Our biennial Conventions bring over 750 youth from around the world for an unforgettable 4-day experience filled with sessions, networking, and social activities. Finally, download the YJA Mobile App. We will soon enough have the latest YJA breakthroughs, projects, and events near you featured in the app. As an organization, YJA strives to create exciting social, networking, educational, and service opportunities. We collaborate with national sanghs, JAINA, donors, and supporters to ensure that our initiatives touch the lives of Jains around the world in a meaningful and impactful way. We look forward to continue working to empower the next generation of young Jains in America. with #yjalove, Siddharth Shah and Dharmi Shah 2017-2018 YJA Executive Board Co-Chairs Young Jains of America (YJA) is the umbrella youth organization of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA). The mission of YJA is to be recognized nationally and internationally as an umbrella youth organization for establishing a network to share Jain heritage and religion through youth.