One of the losses we are feeling this year is not being able to offer OWL for children and youth at UUCA. The OWL program administrators at both the UUA and UCC have asked that we not try to adapt the program for an online setting for a variety of reasons. We still want to be able to support parents and caregivers in their roles as the primary sexuality educators in their families, so we are offering this new program from the UUA. While this is not OWL, it is based on the same principles and values. Some of you may remember that we field tested this program for the UUA several years ago. We are delighted that it has been fully released and we are able to offer it this year.
This program invites adults to ask themselves: How can I embody my role as my child’s primary sexuality educator in a way that expresses my UU values and faith?
Of course, children pick up information and attitudes from sources beyond the home: peers, popular culture, social media, other adults. Many Unitarian Universalist children will participate in Our Whole Lives (OWL), the lifespan, holistic, values-based sexuality education program provided by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ, and they may also receive sexuality education in school. However, OWL encourages, and this program aims to nurture, parents and caregivers in their role as their children’s primary sexuality educators. Trusted adults carry extraordinary power to influence their children’s attitudes and values around sexuality. Many adults struggle to wield that power with intentionality, grace, and confidence. These sessions invite parents and caregivers to find support, insight, and courage with one another.
While the small group ministry format provides a spiritually grounded space, the program’s approach to sexuality is secular and grounded in science, in tune with the OWL lifespan sexuality education programs on which it is based.
This program will be ten sessions and we will meet bi weekly via Zoom on Tuesday evenings 8:00-9:30 pm, beginning on November 17th.
Sessions and Dates
- Hopes and Concerns for Kids’ Sexual Health 11/17
- Communication: How Do We Talk about Sex? 12/1
- Gender Identity: Exploring Emotions around Gender 12/15
- Sexual Orientation: Supporting Self-Discovery 1/12
- Relationships: Guiding with Wisdom 1/26
- Sexual Health: Be a Trusted Source 2/9
- Decision Making: Ready, Set, Let Go! 2/23
- Consent: Building Healthy Boundaries 3/9
- Social Media: Integrity in a Changing World 3/23
- Pornography: It’s Not Sex Ed 4/6
To register, use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfj2foJd8Tk6kbDfzf8NjxxHIA9-Um5igOGSq0fVdTrm1Wnog/viewform?usp=sf_link
Please register ASAP as we are limiting this opportunity to 12 families. UUCA members will be given priority. For questions or more information, please email Kim at lrec@uuasheville.org.