Hello and welcome to all of you new and familiar youth and parents. I am enjoying working with our Director of Religious Education Keitha Whitaker and our wonderful volunteer teachers. I look forward to working with all of you as your Youth RE Chair. I am dedicated to our terrific program and will support children, parents, and teachers in their shared experience. We are all excited about the year ahead and in sharing a safe, informative, caring environment for our RE program here at UUCT. We value our community and the commitment to Youth RE.
 — Terri Martin, Youth RE Committee Chair

Youth Religious Education Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide a well-rounded, liberal religious education for our children in an environment where they feel safe, accepted, respected, happy, and loved. We offer our children a community experience through structured classes, religious celebration, social interaction, service, and family activities. Our goal is to lay the foundation of a faith and value system so children live harmoniously and responsibly within themselves and with others. We will model the seven Unitarian Universalist principles so our children may understand and practice them, and we will encourage our children to become a part of our intergenerational church community now and in the future.
 — Approved 05/05/06 by the Youth RE Committee

Learn more about the Youth Religious Education Committee

Classes for Youth

All classes are led by teaching teams of two or more volunteers. Our volunteers are long-standing members and friends of UUCT, who have shown their dedication to the RE Program by committing to at least a year of service to the program and undergoing an application and interview process. All teachers participate in a teacher training workshop and complete all safety requirements.

The offerings of the Youth RE Program cover five major areas of emphasis on a rotational basis. These five areas are:

• UU Identity
• Jewish and Christian Heritage
• Peace, Social Justice, and the Interdependent Web
• World Religions
• Personal Spiritual Growth and Development

Each year, the Youth RE Committee reviews past offerings to determine the appropriate topic for each age group. RE Classes meet most Sundays except for Intergenerational Services and UU Kids’ Camp Sundays.

NURSERY
The nursery — for ages birth to 5 — opens Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Care provider, Emmy Barthel-Mackie, along with adult volunteers, provides a nurturing, safe environment for the youngest of our community. Stories, crafts, indoor/outdoor play, and the always-important snack time are offered weekly. For more information on the nursery, please contact DRE Keitha Whitaker.

EXPLORERS
The Explorers — ages 3 to 5 — meet some Sundays in Room C, with teacher Nancy Bass. These children are just beginning to explore the world around them. This class provides a safe and loving environment for them to ask questions and begin forming answers within a liberal religious context.

ARTISTS
The Artists — grades K, 1, 2 — meet in Room K. The Artists are building upon the foundation that was laid as Explorers and beginning to “paint” and “sculpt” their lives. Children are encouraged to use their creativity as they continue to learn what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. Teachers include Pam Hoskins, Hollie Lloyd, and Isabel Sheridan.

BRIDGERS
The Bridgers — grades 3, 4, 5 — meet in Room 2. These youth are beginning to build the bridge between childhood and young adulthood. As in the classes before them, the Bridgers are encouraged to question, reason, reach and grow in a stimulating and encouraging environment. Sally Andersen, Parker Collins, and Terri Martin are Bridgers Teachers this year.

CURRICULUM
This year the Explorers, Artists, and Bridgers will use WE BELIEVE: Learning and Living Our Unitarian Universalist Principles. Class activities are adjusted for age-appropriate learning. September, October, and November classes include: Inherent Worth: What Does It Mean?; Fair to Everyone; Inner Peace; Teachers and Learners; and Deciding Together.

WE BELIEVE is a UUA-published curriculum designed for all ages. The twenty-two hour-long sessions include stories, discussions, activities, and worship experiences that are interesting and engaging for four-year-olds to sixty-four-year-olds and all those in between. The curriculum is based on the seven principles as stated in the UUA Bylaws. While learning more about our UU heritage our children learn to articulate their UU faith through positive statements about what they do believe rather than the usual UU counterstatements to other faiths.

In twenty-one sessions our UU principles are explored in three different ways. Session number twenty-two allows each class to reflect upon and celebrate their memories of shared experiences.

YOUTH GROUP
Youth Group — Middle/High School — meets most Sundays in Room 3/6 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, contact Youth Group Advisors Jennifer Carver (402-0622) or Scott Geraci (877-6301).

In addition to the RE curriculum, our children have several opportunities to participate in intergenerational services held throughout the year and two “Youth Celebrations!” with Rev. Robin Gray. The RE calendar is available at the RE Cart on Sundays. RE brochures are available on our UUCT kiosk at the back of the sanctuary. Feel free to pick one up whenever you visit our congregation.  

Our Whole Lives (OWL)

In addition to our regular RE offerings, every three years UUCT offers Our Whole Lives , a series of sexual education curricula for grades K-1, grades 4-5, and grades 6-8. High School and adult courses are available as needed. Grades 6-8 OWL will be offered in Fall 2008. Parents are required to attend a mandatory orientation for all courses.  

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 provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

All OWL teachers receive UUA-recognized training and fulfill all safety requirements. Please contact DRE Keitha Whitaker for more information.

Youth Activities

Green Sanctuary
As part of UUCT’s commitment as a certified ”Green Sanctuary,” the Green Sanctuary committee provides opportunities of learning about environmental issues for our children and young people. Activities are usually hands-on and interactive. For more information on Green Sanctuary, contact the Green Sanctuary Committee Chair or DRE Keitha Whitaker.

Special Pen Pals
This program links our young people and interested adults in our congregation as Special Pen Pals. Special Pen Pals will take place throughout the month of February, culminating in a party for the Pals following the service on the last Sunday in February.

What is a Special Pen Pal?
An adult and a child (K-8th) who write letters to each other. These letters can be sharing thoughts, drawings and other paper artwork, poems, stories, anecdotes from daily life, memories, etc. These Special Pals get a glimpse into each other’s worlds.

How can I participate?
Throughout the month of January we will have Special Pen Pal sign ups. Simply register to be a Pal, and we will link you with a child or adult (which ever one you are not!) in our congregation. You also have to be able to keep a secret, because Special Pen Pals choose magical names and remain anonymous until the party at the end of the program. Watch the Meridian for more details!

Kids’ Fun Nights/Parents’ Night Out
A favorite event for kids (and parents, too!). Drop the kids off at church on the designated evening, and parents are free for the evening! Adult supervision, games, and pizza are provided for the kids. Generally, the evening centers around a theme (like Pokemon or Harry Potter). The kids are happy, the parents are happy! Usually occurring twice a year, we try to schedule one in late fall (so parents have a chance to do some holiday shopping) and in the spring. Please check The Meridian for dates and times for this popular event.

Service Opportunities
Part of being a Unitarian Universalist is living out one’s faith in service to others. We encourage our youth to become active in various service projects throughout the year. Our younger children might participate in a park clean up day, while the older youth may assist in preparing meals at one of the local shelters. Children learn through doing that Unitarian Universalism is a faith of deeds, not creeds.

Harmony Camp
Harmony Camp was established in August, 2004, through the joint effort of the Racial and Cultural Diversity Committee and Youth RE, along with many, many congregational volunteers and teachers from the community. The camp provides opportunities for children to experience, value, and create harmony within themselves and with friends of diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, with different generations, and with the interdependent web of life. The camp provides children a setting to meet a diversity of people and enables the participants to share common experiences, discovering that we are more alike than we are different.

A sampling of Harmony Camp activities includes yoga, journaling, peace dances, music, drama, art, local history, taking oral histories, gardening, and conflict management.

The camp day runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with before and after care provided for a fee. It is open to children throughout the community. For details and registration information for Harmony Camp 2008, contact the UUCT Office.

MountainCamp - Summer Camp in North Carolina
It's one of the most valuable and fun experiences a young person can have! Your camper will come away with memories that last a lifetime. MountainCamp fosters belonging and acceptance in a truly safe environment. Committed to providing meaningful, high-quality experiences for all youth, MountainCamp offers a variety of programs. Whether you are looking for two weeks of adventure, a summer-long experience, or a week-long leadership training, you'll find your niche at The Mountain.

In keeping with our values, we treat each child with respect, kindness and consideration, and we celebrate his or her individual gifts. A balance is maintained between establishing structure and boundaries to keep youth safe and creating opportunities for them to "test their wings." Scholarships are available. For further information, contact Keitha Whitaker, DRE, or Elinor Elfner.