Saturday, January 19, 2013

Our Whole Lives for 5th&6th graders starting

Our Wholes Lives is an important curriculum we offer as part of religious education at First Unitarian Society Schenectady. In a culture filled with negative stereotypes about gender and sexuality, OWL offers a positive, life- affirming opportunity to link sexuality, social justice and spirituality. Here's a description from the Unitarian Universalist website,

Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

At FUSS we offer OWL at two points in religious education, between 4th -6th grade and between 7th-9th grade.

We are offering the 8-week Our Whole Lives program for 5th and 6th graders beginning January 27, at 10:30 AM, with a parent/child class. There is a parent orientation this Sunday, January 20th, in Waters House, beginning at noon. We will have lunch available and there is childcare.

The OWL course requires parental approval in order for children to participate. During these 8 weeks there are no drop -ins allowed.

Our OWL programs are run by trained adult facilitators. Our facilitators are volunteers from FUSS who get additional training to lead Our Whole Lives. They are incredibly dedicated to this program and the children they serve. If you are interested in being trained, please talk with Melissa MacKinnon, Director of Religious Education.