Welcome to Youth Activities!
The Youth Activities program is designed youth between the ages of 13-20. Our mission is to engage and develop young Jains through lessons on Dharma, leadership and professionalism, and connecting the youth across the globe to create and implement a strong young Jains network. We hope to achieve this mission through our experiential daytime sessions and unforgettable nighttime events! Please note: In order to attend Youth Activities Session you must register for JAINA and add the Youth Activities Add-on.
Youth Activity Programing*
Daytime Sessions
Daytime sessions will feature engaging and inspirational speakers about Jainism and the importance of its values to youth. Inline with the JAINA conventions theme we will take a look at Jainism in the 21st century: Seva, Satsang, Samarpan, Sadhana, and Self-realization. Get excited for some diverse and powerful sessions about Jainism in the 21st Century. Stay tuned for a speaker line-up.
Service Project
Join us for a vibrant and impactful community service project where we will work to service those less fortunate than us. Mingle with your fellow attendees and jam to your favorite music while also exemplifying the Jain value of Seva.
JIA:JAINA Edition
The JAINA 2019 Youth Activities Committee is mixing the creativity of JIA (Jains in Action) and speed of a hackathon to bring you the most fast-paced problem-solving activity in YJA history! You will have two hours to work with your group to design a solution to a problem in our Jain communities. You will be coached and guided by some of the best mentors YJA has to offer. If you think you think you have the guts, the brains, and the drive to create change in your community, this event is the one for YOU! Keep an eye out for the JIA sign-ups coming soon. Sign-ups will be first come, first serve.
*Please note that scheduling and programming is subject to change based of circumstances
Meet our Youth Activites Chairs
Dharmi Shah:
Dharmi Shah is a fourth-year pharmacy student at the University of Illinois at Chicago and originally from Dothan, Alabama. She enjoys being a foodie, practicing yoga, hanging out with her friends, and lounging in various coffee shops. She has been involved with Young Jains of America by serving as a Local Representative for a few years, Director of Events (2016-2017), and as one of the Executive Board Co-Chairs (2017-2018). She is very excited to be part of the 2019 JAINA Convention Board and to organize eventful youth activities and sessions for this Convention!
dharmi.shah@yja.org
Puja Savla:
Puja Savla is currently a Biology and Chemistry teacher at El Camino Charter High School. She is an avid LA sports fan. She spends time with family and friends, and enjoys playing board games and taking bike rides down the Pacific Coast. She also spends time relaxing by drawing, painting, and decorating her bullet journal. She is also been vegan for over 5 years and loves trying new vegan restaurants in LA and when travelling. She has been an active part of her local Jain Community as a past pathshala teacher at Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) and in the National Jain Community as the West Regional Coordinator (2014-2015) and one of the Executive Board Co-Chairs (2015-2016) for the 2016 Young Jains of America (YJA) convention in LA.
puja.savla@yja.org
Avish Jain:
Avish Jain is a support engineer at Flatiron Health, an oncology healthtech company based in New York, and also runs a web and technology services firm. Originally from the Cleveland area, Avish has been an active member in the Jain community and served as Co-Chair (2016-17) and Director of IT (2015-16) for Young Jains of America (YJA). He is passionate about bringing people together to build community and develop strategies to create meaningful change. He is a big foodie and loves to spend his time traveling, playing the violin, and cheering on his favorite sports teams (especially Ohio State, from where he is a dual-degree alum).
avish.jain@yja.org
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Youth Activities Schedule
2019 JAINA Convention |
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| Thurs, July 4th | Friday, July 5th | Saturday, July 6th | Sunday, July 7th | |||
| 10:00 AM |
Art of Bowing: When the Heart Leads the Head
Revered Heng Sure & Nipun Mehta (Lake Silverwood) |
MusicRecycle: Saving the Environment
Kanika Patawari (Lake Silverwood) |
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| 10:30 AM |
Seva
Community Service Activity with YJP and Jain Connect (Double Tree) |
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| 11:00 AM |
Jainism in College
Neelam Savla, Julie Mehta, Shivani Daftary, Ayush Jain, & Vineet Shah (Lake Silverwood) |
Jainism 101: Explain it to me like I’m a first grader.
Rishabh Parekh (Big Bear) |
Nourish the Body & Soul
Priyanka Shah (Lake Silverwood) |
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| 11:30 AM | ||||||
| 12:00 PM |
Lunch
(Convention Center) |
Lunch
(Convention Center) |
Lunch
(Convention Center) |
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| 12:30 PM | ||||||
| 1:00 PM | ||||||
| 1:30 PM |
Jain Veganism: Identity Through Perspective
Sunny Jain (Lake Silverwood) |
Reframing Failure and Negativity
Julie Shah (Big Bear) |
Seva with Sova
Community Service Activity (Lake Silverwood) |
Goodbyes
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| 2:00 PM | ||||||
| 2:30 PM |
Implementing Anekantvad in Modern Times
Anil Singhvi (Lake Silverwood) |
Jains in Action (JIA): JAINA Edition 2019
Hackathon Activity (Big Bear) |
YJA-ers of the Round Table
Young Jains of America (YJA) Executive Board (Lake Silverwood) |
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| 3:00 PM |
Jain Academic Bowl (JAB) Finals
(Convention Center) |
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| 3:30 PM |
Admit One
Carnival (Lake Silverwood, Big Bear) |
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| 4:00 PM |
Naach with Neesha
Neesha Daulat (Lake Silverwood) |
Samaira Mehta (Lake Arrowhead) |
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| 4:30 PM | ||||||
| 5:00 PM | ||||||
| 5:30 PM | ||||||
| 6:00 PM |
Dinner
(Convention Center) |
Dinner
(Convention Center) |
Dinner
(Convention Center) |
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| 6:30 PM | ||||||
| 7:00 PM | ||||||
| 7:30 PM | ||||||
| 8:00 PM | ||||||
| 8:30 PM |
Garba
(Convention Center) |
One Rhythm, One World
Cultural Show (Convention Center) |
LA Nights
Formal Night (Lake Silverwood) |
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| 9:00 PM | ||||||
| 9:30 PM |
One Hit Wonder
Karaoke Night (Big Bear) |
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| 10:00 PM | ||||||
| 10:30 PM | ||||||
| 11:00 PM | ||||||
| 11:30 PM | ||||||
| NOTE: All programming under Youth Activities is held in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Ontario Airport unless otherwise noted. | ||||||
| DRESS CODE | Daytime: Casual | Admit One: Casual | One Hit Wonder: Casual, or dress as a singer from the early 2000s to 1990s | LA Nights: Ladies: long formal/semi-formal floor-length banquet dress and heels/flats Gentleman: suit & tie/bowties or dress shirts & pants |
Please dress in appropriate clothing. No ripped jeans, short shorts, low-cut tops, etc. Feel free to reach out if you have questions | |
Meet our Youth Activites Planning Committees
Ankith Desai is a junior in high school and works as a youth liaison for the City of Irvine. He also participates in his pathshala and youth events at the Jain Center of Southern California, and is a West Coast-Best Coast LR for YJA. Ankith loves attending JAINA and YJA conventions, and is excited to be part of the planning this year. In his free time, he learns Hindustani Music, experiments in the kitchen to create vegan alternatives to dairy delicacies, discussing politics with friends and family, and re-watching Parks and Rec.Ankith Desai
Bansari Shah grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago and is currently a sophomore at the University of Southern California majoring in Business Administration (Fight On!). She loves traveling, meeting new people, and is known for her obsessions with Taco Bell and her car, Lexi. Bansari has been involved with YJA for years through the 2018 Convention Committee, subcommittees, and being a local representative. She’s excited to be on the JAINA YA Planning Committee and can’t wait to meet everyone at this year’s convention!Bansari Shah
Dhvani Kakabalia is a senior in high school in NJ and loves to listen to music, read books, rock climb and bike ride in her free time. You can always find her with some sketch pencils in hand if ever given a free moment. Dhvani loves spending time with her friends, from meeting for hours on end on weekends to going on a quick Starbuck run with them after school. She has previously been part of the JAINA YA Planning Committee for 2017 and is honored to serve on this year’s committee as well, along with being on the JAINA Awards Committee for the 2019 Convention.Dhvani Kakabalia
Jaina Doshi is a 14-year-old freshman from Los Angeles currently attending Cerritos High School. She is also part of her school’s Cross Country team and enjoys activities including photography and public speaking. Jaina grew up attending the local Pathshala classes at the Jain Center of Southern California and is beyond excited to volunteer at JAINA.Jaina Doshi
Kush Shah is an NC native junior in high school and likes spending his free time rock climbing, swimming, taking photos, and being with friends. His favorite vacation spots are urban sprawls and places with water, like the Caribbean and Chicago. You can usually find him with some earbuds in listening to music. He is an LR for the Southeast region, and has been since late 2017. He is honored to be a part of the planning committee for this year’s youth Jaina events!Kush Shah
Rishi Zaveri lives in Indiana but is a pure Michigander at heart. He did his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science at the University of Michigan. He grew up in Farmington Hills and has been part of the Jain Society of Greater Detroit his whole life. He enjoys reading, singing, playing his sitar and dancing, especially garba. He has also been fascinated by Jainism since he started Paathshala, and is constantly trying to learn more. He is currently a YJA local representative for Indianapolis and on the Education subcommittee. This is his first year being a part of any YJA or JAINA group and he is very excited for the coming year!Rishi Zhaveri
Sanjana Jain is an accountant by day and a dream vegan baker at heart. A Columbus native, she earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting from The Ohio State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, reading, traveling, community service, and spending time with loved ones. As a wellness and self-care advocate, she is thoroughly fascinated by the power of the mind and body. Sanjana serves as a Local Representative in the Midwest Region and is a member of the Publications Subcommittee for Young Jains of America. She is grateful to be involved with Youth Activities and is thrilled to experience JAINA Convention 2019!Sanjana Jain
Shreya Udani is from Los Angeles, CA and is currently a Bioengineering PhD student at UCLA. She is an alumna of Northwestern University, and she enjoys exploring new cities, biking, and dancing. She has previously been on the YJA Education Subcommittee and helped the Hospitality Committee during the 2018 YJA convention. She is excited to assist with Youth Activities at JAINA 2019 and to meet more young Jains from all over the country!Shreya Udani
Please reach out to youth@jaina.org if you have any questions.
Sessions
JIA: JAINA Edition
Mixing the creativity of JIA (Jains in Action) and speed of a hackathon we are bringing you the most fast-paced problem-solving activity in Jaina history! You will have two hours to work with your group to design a solution to a problem in our Jain communities. You will be coached and guided by some of the best mentors YJA has to offer. If you think you think you have the guts, the brains, and the drive to create change in your community, this event is the one for YOU! You must register ahead of time for this session, so sign up now!
Seva with Sova
To give back to the community, we will be helping uplift the local homeless population by packing essential hygiene kits to be distributed by a local organization named, Sova. Mingle with your fellow attendees and jam to your favorite music while also exemplifying the Jain value of Seva in a fun and creative way!
Social Programming
Ready to start off this year’s JAINA Convention right? Come stop by the Admit One Carnival to play a quick game of bean toss or just eat a cupcake while listening to some tunes! This will be a great opportunity to socialize with friends on the first day and make some new ones too.
One Hit Wonder
Time to showcase your singing skills at JAINA 2019! Come and kick it old school with our karaoke night: One Hit Wonder! It’s a night you won’t want to miss as we go through the classics and enjoy a night full of singing, games, and socializing! Come dressed casually or as your favorite singer.
LA Nights
We are so excited to present to you this year’s formal, LA Nights, where we will bring the best of LA right to you and mark the end of a memorable weekend! Stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame and later dance the night away beside the palm trees and LACMA lights. Ladies may dress in American formal attire (i.e. long formal/semi-formal floor-length banquet dress and heels/flats) and Gentlemen can also rock the night away in American formal attire (i.e. suit & tie/bowties or dress shirts & pants).