Eliot Unitarian Chapel - Kirkwood, MO: Our Whole Lives


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		“I think the Our Whole Lives program is wonderful. It gives teens a chance to learn and discuss sexuality in a safe, accepting, comfortable environment. As a result of this program, I have grown more confident in my relationships and feel more comfortable talking to my parents about anything.” ~Anne Fried, Our Whole Lives Participant (2009) Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a lifespan, comprehensive sexuality education program, created jointly by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the United Church of Christ. Our Whole Lives helps individuals make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior and equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: Human development Relationships Personal skills Sexual behavior Sexual health 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. The Our Whole Lives values are: Self Worth Sexual Health Responsibility Justice and Inclusivity Eliot Unitarian Chapel currently offers the Our Whole Lives program to children & youth in the grade levels on a rotating basis: Kindergarten-1st (anticipated in winter/spring of 2017-18) 4th-5th Grade (anticipated in fall 2016-17) 7th-9th Grade (anticipated winter/spring 2017) Please note that due to the nature and content of the Our Whole Lives program, participation is limited to children and youth who are officially registered and actively participating in the Religious Education program, or children and youth whose parents are pledging church members. For more information about the Our Whole Lives program, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org. Our Whole Lives: Background, Resources and Additional Information The Our Whole Lives curricula for 7^th-9^th grade was updated for 2014-15. Click HERE to explore the recent blog from UUA Call & Response titled The OWL Has Landed, by Melanie J. Davis, which explores the new edition, highlights the updated material in the curriculum, and includes links to additional OWL information from the UUA and other organizations. Click here to learn more about the Our Whole Lives lifespan sexuality education program from the Unitarian Universalist Association. What’s religious about sexuality education? Check out the Unitarian Universalist Association's Sexuality is Honored Here brochure, found here. You can explore Forty Years of UU Sexuality Education, which examines the long history of sexuality education in the Unitarian Universalist Association, in this 2011 UU World article by Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, found here. What insights and lessons can children and youth take away from participating in Our Whole Lives? Check out Talkin' About Birds and Bees, by Conor Friedersdorf, a 16-year-old youth who participated in the UUA's K-1 and 7-9 Our Whole Lives program. The Our Whole Lives (OWL) program was featured at the National Sex Education Conference. Check out reflections and insight here from this experience from Dr. Melanie Davis, the UUA’s OWL program associate, in the UU Call & Response Blog.