Training Institute History

1991

The first Basic Course (now known as Reflections on the Life of the Spirit) was studied in the Valley with pioneers living in the area. Efforts were supported by Alejandra Miller who had recently been trained in Columbia.

1993

First intensive training of forty facilitators in Houston, TX.

1997

200 Training Institutes established worldwide

Regional Bahá'í Councils formed. Southern States region included: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas

The Magdalene Carney Bahá'í Institute served the area of Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

There was no RTI board for the states that make up the South Central region, not until 2002.

2000

Book 7 Walking Together on a Path of Service released. First systematic tutor training materials.

2001

300 Training Institutes established worldwide

Geographic ``clusters`` introduced

2002

The OATs (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas) RegionalTraining Institute was formed.

New RTI Board Appointed

Lupita Ahangarzadeh (2002-2004), Mark Sherrill (2002-2004), Christopher Bishop (2002-2004), Susan Nossa (2002-2006), Allison Vaccarol (2002-2006), Michael Bigler (2002-2006), and Cheryl Love Hanks (2002-2006)

2003

New RTI Board Appointed

Lupita Ahangarzadeh (2002-2004), Mark Sherrill (2002-2004), Christopher Bishop (2002-2004), Susan Nossa (2002-2006), Allison Vaccarol (2002-2006), Michael Bigler (2002-2006), Cheryl Love Hanks (2002-2006), Irene Iturboro (2003-2009), Raymond Waight (2003-2009), George Cooper, Jr. (2003-2009), and Fereidoun Homayoun (2003-2011)

Raymond Waight served as the regions first Regional Coordinator.

2005

Junior Youth Program established as fourth core activity.

Formal acknowledgement of Ruhi Institute materials.

New RTI Board Appointed

Susan Nossa (2002-2006), Allison Vaccarol (2002-2006), Michael Bigler (2002-2006), Cheryl Love Hanks (2002-2006), Irene Iturboro (2003-2009), Raymond Waight (2003-2009), George Cooper, Jr. (2003-2009), Fereidoun Homayoun (2003-2011), and Khotan Shahbazi-Harmon (2005-2009)

2007

Decentralized Bahá'í schools

2008

The states served by the Magdalene Carney Bahá'í Institute and the Martha Root Institute formed the new South Central Region: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.

OATs Institute renamed Martha Root Institute.

2009

41 Conferences held around the world

New RTI Board Appointed

Fereidoun Homayoun (2003-2011), Tammy Goff (2009-2011), Wally Carter (2009-2011), and Kambiz Rafraf (2009-2013)

2010

Milestones introduced

Book 8 released

Dallas cluster connected to East Valley network

2011

New RTI Board Appointed

Kambiz Rafraf (2009-2013) ,Mona Helmy (2011-2012), Carla Sperandeo (2011-2013), Irene Iturburo (2011-2013), and Christopher Martin (2011-2013)

2012

New South Central Region: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. Now 10 regions in the U.S.

2013

114 Youth Conferences held

Three full-time Regional Coordinators appointed

New RTI Board Appointed

Peggah Hemmat (2013-2017), Nate Gandomi (2013-2017), Mona Yamartino (2013-2017), Tebarek Teketel (2013-2017), and Nadia Ekbal (2013-2019)

2014

Book 5 Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth re-published about the junior youth program

Dallas and Austin cluster connected to East Valley Learning Site network

2015

Group of Adjoining Clusters introduced

Collaborative groups introduced

Book 9.1 released

2016

Alex Balcazar appointed Resource Person for the South Central Learning Site

2017

Book 10 released

Bicentenary Celebrations

Dallas City Cluster designated a Learning Site

New RTI Board Appointed

Nadia Ekbal (2013-2019), Abby Wilson (2017-2019), Naomi de la Torre (2017-2021), Dora Garcia (2017-2023), and Stephen Fuqua (2017-2023)

2018

Children's Classes Grade 3 and 4 materials released

2019

Bicentenary Celebrations

Book 11.1 released

New RTI Board Appointed

Naomi de la Torre (2017-2021), Dora Garcia (2017-2023), Stephen Fuqua (2017-2023), Satsa Grant (2019-2021), and Jon Hartman (2019-2023)

2020

New versions of Book 1 and Book 2 released

Book 11.2 released

Book 13.1 and 13.2 released

Book 14.1 released

Expanding nucleus concept emphasized

2021

Satsa Grant appointed a full-time Institute Resource Person

Book 12.1 and 12.2 released

New RTI Board Appointed

Dora Garcia (2017-2023), Stephen Fuqua (2017-2023), Jon Hartman (2019-2023), Lorraine Sheldon (2021-2023), Shahrzad Azimi (2021-2023), and Pohleng Howe (2021-2023)