Gopika-Kanta Dasi
The majority of second generation youth utilize a double life strategy that ultimately becomes unsustainable. The story of identity crisis and experiences of cognitive dissonance are rampant among second generation youth. Therefore, as a current Sunday School educator in ISKCON of New Jersey who specifically works with adolescents, I've embarked on a journey to answer this question: How can ISKCON communities bridge the gap for second generation teenagers operating in two vastly different realities? How can we get them to buy in? I personally feel that Krishna Conscious education needs to prioritize an experience of meaning over memorizing, especially during the delicate phase of adolescence. It is during adolescence that questions of identity and core beliefs surface. When youth understand the relevance of philosophy and have the space to explore doubts, the gap between their two worlds begins to close. They begin the journey of solidifying their beliefs instead of merely playing the part of a perfect devotee.