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

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 infants and toddlers — opens Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Care providers, Nina Cline and Sabrina Flesch along with adult volunteers, provide 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 about the Nursery, please contact DRE Keitha Whitaker.

EXPLORERS (pre-school, ages 3 to 5)
The Explorers meet Sundays in Room 3, with teachers Kristen Eliza Coyne, Logan Hunter-Thompson, and Teresa Henderson. 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 (grades K – 2)
The Artists 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 Unitarian Universalist. Teachers are: DeWayne Carver, Pam Hoskins & Susan Snyder

BRIDGERS (grades 3 – 5)
The Bridgers meet in Room C. These youth are beginning to build the bridge between childhood and young adulthood. Bridgers are currently working on their “Toolbox of Faith.” Teachers Brian Lee, Hollie Lloyd, and Terri Martin lead the class.

YOUTH GROUP (Middle – High School)
Youth Group meets Sundays in Room 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Youth Group are studying “Families” this year. Youth Group Advisors are Melinda Stuart-Tilley & Kim Ward.

CHILDREN’S SPIRITUALITY CLASS

Several times during the year we offer a Children’s Spirituality Class, hosted by Logan Hunter-Thompson and Melinda Stuart-Tilley. The class focuses on ideas about God, prayer, and religion from a theist perspective. It is open to children and youth of all ages. This class offering is in addition to, and not a part of, our regular Religious Education classes. The class meets five (5) times between October and May, during the services on Family Church Sundays. Please see the Religious Education schedule for dates; available at the church on the R. E. Cart or click here If you are interested in this class for your children or youth, or if you have questions about class content, please contact Logan Hunter Thompson (loganhthompson@hotmail.com) and Melinda Stuart-Tilley (frenchyfrye@hotmail.com) for additional information.

FAMILY CHURCH & INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICES
In addition to the RE curriculum, our children have several opportunities to participate in intergenerational services held throughout the year. The RE calendar and RE brochures are available at the RE Cart when you visit our congregation on Sundays.

ROMP ‘N’ ROAR ROOM
On Family Church Sundays and Intergenerational Services a “Romp ‘n’ Roar Room” is available for parents and their 3 to 5-year-olds when the young ones are too restless or exuberant to sit in the service. Arrangements are being made to provide access to the audio portion of the sermon for parents who use our Romp ‘n’ Roar Room.

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 4 - 6 OWL will be offered in Spring 2010. 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.

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 2009, click here http://uutallahassee.org/harmonycamp.htm

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.