Coming of Age & Our Whole Lives
The UUFA offers supplemental programming for students in Grades 7-8, in addition to Sunday morning religious education. Coming of Age & Our Whole Lives offer opportunities to learn, to question, and to seek knowledge and path that best fits the individual, during this age period of personal change and transition towards adulthood.
Coming of Age (Grades 7-8)
Coming of Age is a program where life's big questions are asked and pondered:
- What or Who is God?
- What is the purpose of my life?
- How do I know the right things to do in life?
- What happens when we die?
- Why are there so many religions in the world?
- What is sacred?
- Where does Unitarian Universalism fit into my life?
- How can I make the world a good place to be?
- Did God create us or did we create God?
- Where do science and religion intersect?
- Am I being a good friend? person? son/daughter? brother/sister?
- How can adults help me grow into the person I want to be?
Students choose an adult mentor who is a member or friend of the UUFA, and who has passed our UUFA background check. Through the year they explore these questions as mentor/mentee and with the larger group of mentors and mentees. Art, low and high ropes course, sleepovers, and creating a personal credo statement are all part of the process of "Coming of Age."
Next anticipated offering: 2023-2024 program year
Our Whole Lives (Grades 7-8)
This comprehensive, values based curriculum gives information to students about physical and emotional development, relationship tools, and gender identity. The information shared during this class helps students see that sexuality is a normal part of healthy human development. The decisions that youth will begin making about their own peer relationships become more and more complex as they grow up – Our Whole Lives helps them determine how to first define their values and then act on them when making decisions about friendships, dating, and commitments. This is not an abstinence-only curriculum, but it does stress that postponing important choices and activities until after middle and high school can assure that limitless options and opportunities will be available to students in all areas of their lives as they grow and mature.
The program is offered as a closed group and parental consent is required. More information can be found via the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Next anticipated offering: 2024-2025 program year
