This Spring, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign is offering OWL classes between January 28 and May 5, 2024.

• Younger Elementary Curriculum for Grades K – 1 helps young children identify their attitudes, values and feelings about themselves, their sexuality and others’ sexuality. Along with a parent meeting and parent-child orientation, workshops help participants learn about birth, babies, bodies and families. Songs, stories, activities and at-home projects promote family dialogue. There is an Orientation for parents and children and 8 class sessions.

• Older Elementary Curriculum for Grades 4 – 5 helps children ages nine through eleven learn about and discuss the physical, emotional changes, and social changes of puberty. Parents and caregivers can be actively involved in the exploration of growing older, values, communication and decision making. OWL models and teaches caring, compassion, respect, and justice. There is an Orientation for parents and children and 10 class sessions.

• Parents & Caregivers As Sexuality Educators helps parents and caregivers explore their roles as the primary sexuality educators of their elementary through teenage children. There are 6-7 class sessions.

If you have questions about these classes or want information on future OWL classes, please contact religious-exploration@uucuc.org.

What is Our Whole Lives (OWL)?

Honest, accurate information about sexuality changes lives. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision making, and has the potential to save lives. For these reasons and more, we are proud to offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curricula for use in both secular settings and faith communities.

Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. With a holistic approach, Our Whole Lives provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality.

Our Whole Lives Offers…

• Accurate information presented in developmentally appropriate ways
• Affective and emotional learning
• Guiding values and principles
• Activities that help participants clarify values and improve decision-making skills
• A safe and supportive peer group
• Acceptance of diversity
• A social justice approach to inclusive sexuality education
• Step-by-step instructions for program promotion, implementation, and facilitation
• Parent orientation that affirms parents as their children’s primary sexuality educators
• Facilitator trainings and continuing education to increase knowledge, skills, confidence
• Expert user support from OWL Program Associate (UUA) and OWL Program Coordinator (UCC)
• Sexuality and Our Faith, an optional religious supplement for use in Unitarian Universalist and United Church of Christ settings.

Our Whole Lives Values…

While Our Whole Lives is secular, it is not value-free. The program gives clear messages about the following key sexuality issues:

• self worth
• sexual health
• responsibility
• justice and inclusivity

Our Whole Lives recognizes and respects the diversity of participants with respect to biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status. The activities and language used throughout the program have been carefully chosen to be as inclusive as possible of this human diversity.

For more information, please contact religious-exploration@uucuc.org.