Eliot Unitarian Chapel - Kirkwood, MO: Our Whole Lives


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		Program Update (as of May 2022): The Our Whole Lives (OWL) program at Eliot Chapel for children and youth remains on hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 health situation. At this time, we hope to resume offering Our Whole Lives for children and youth during the 2022-23 program year (September 2022-May 2023). For up-to-date information about the Our Whole Lives program at Eliot Chapel, including anticipated program offerings in 2022-23, contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org. Resources for when Our Whole Lives is on hold The Unitarian Universalist Association and United Church of Christ have assembled a collection of print and online resources for Our Whole Lives (OWL) participants of all ages (children, youth, and adults) which reflect the values of the OWL program, including resources designed to support parents in their roles as primary sexuality educators for their children and youth. The current list of Our Whole Lives resources for children, youth, and adults can be found here, as well as more specific at-home resource lists for Kindergarten-6th grade AND 7th grade-adult. Check out When You Can’t Do OWL-Do This (updated in November 2021), which includes possible Our Whole Lives conversations and activities to have by age group. Many of these resources and activities can be explored at home. NEW RESOURCE (February 2022): Under Your Wing Video Series The Unitarian Universalist Association and United Church of Christ recently released the new Under Your Wing video series for parents of young children (primarily ages 5-7). This video series includes eight (8) short videos by the curricula authors, who are also parents and professional sexuality educators. These videos are designed to support parents as their children's primary sexuality educators. Topics include bodies, gender, families, babies, consent, and more. Videos include possible dialogue starters, teachable moments, and highlight up-to-date book recommendations on these topics. All videos in Under Your Wing can be accessed free-of-charge. Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to explore the new K-1 Our Whole LIves Resource List, which includes both print and media resources. About the Our Whole Lives (OWL) Program 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 has traditionally offered the Our Whole Lives program to children & youth in different grade levels on a rotating basis, including these age groups: Kindergarten & 1st grade 4th & 5th grade Junior High (some combination of 7th, 8th, and 9th grades) As of May 2022: Note that all Our Whole Lives (OWL) programs at Eliot remain on hold due to Covid-19. It's our hope to resume offering Our Whole Lives for children and youth during the 2022-23 program year (September 2022-May 2023). For more information about the Our Whole Lives program, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org. Our Whole Lives: History, Background, and Additional Resources The Our Whole Lives curriculum for 7th–9th grade was last updated in 2014-15. Check out the blog from UUA Call & Response titled The OWL Has Landed, by Melanie J. Davis, which explores the 2nd edition, highlights the updated material in the curriculum, and includes links to additional OWL information from the UUA and other organizations. What’s religious about sexuality education? Check out the Unitarian Universalist Association's Sexuality is Honored Here brochure. 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 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.