RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Out of the Office…

Director of Lifespan Religious Education Robin Ahearn will be on vacation 4/29-5/11. If you have any urgent RE concerns in her absence, please contact Congregational Life Coordinator Kristin Cleveland at clc@uuschenectady.org. Robin will resume checking emails and will be back in church Sunday, 5/15.

UPCOMING RE CLASSES:

K/1^st/2^nd Grade OWL (Our Whole Lives sexuality education):  Their next session is scheduled for Sunday morning, 5/1, at 10:30, with trained facilitator Joel Best and long-time RE teacher Juliana Post-Good. They’ll meet in the K/1 classroom in the church hallway, next to the dining hall. Masks are required and there is an air-filtration unit in the classroom.

K-6 Experiences with the Web of Life: These nature lovers will meet again Sunday morning, 5/1, in the Waters House Library following Story for All Ages during the service, which begins at 10:30. Masking and social distancing are required, and there is an air-filtration unit in the classroom. Please be sure to have your K-6 children dress for the weather as they will be going outside.

5/6/7 Grade OWL (Our Whole Lives sexuality education): Their next session is scheduled for Sunday, 5/1, at 5 pm, with trained facilitators Bryan Cherry and Erin Piotrowski. They’ll meet in the large, third-floor classroom in Waters House. Masking and social distancing are required, and there is an air-filtration unit in the classroom.

5/6/7 OWL Parents: During your children’s OWL meeting, y’all are welcome to gather in the first-floor youth room of Waters House. Also feel free to visit on the picnic table behind Waters House or enjoy the back yard.

7^th/8^th Grade THE FIFTH DIMENSION:  Their next meeting is Sunday morning, 5/1, in the large second-floor classroom in Waters House following Story for All Ages during the service, which begins at 10:30. Masking and social distancing are required, and there is an air-filtration unit in the classroom.

SENIOR YOUTH (9^th-12^th):

Our Senior Youth will meet again Sunday, 5/1, beginning at noon, in the youth classroom in Waters House!  Masking is required and there is an air-filtration unit in the classroom.

11^th/12^th Grade OWL (Our Whole Lives sexuality education): This curriculum will be taught by trained facilitators Barbara Cornell and Sara Tyo. Using a comprehensive approach, this program helps senior-high youth gain the knowledge, life principles, and skills they need to express their sexuality in life-enhancing ways. Includes a parent orientation and 12 sessions.

Due to illness, the 11/12 OWL Parent Orientation was delayed. A new date will be announced soon. We will meet in the Youth Room at Waters House for the orientation. Meetings will take place Sunday evenings at 7 pm—date tbd, in one of the Waters House classrooms—tbd.

11/12 OWL Parents: During your youth’s meeting time, y’all are welcome to gather in the first-floor youth room of Waters House. Also feel free to visit on the picnic table behind Waters House or enjoy the back yard.

If you haven’t registered yet, please do so by clicking here: Registration Link.

Would your Youth like to attend General Assembly, either virtually or in person in Portland, Oregon, this June?!  Here’s the link: https://www.uua.org/ga

Would your Youth like to attend Ferry Beach Youth Camp in Saco, ME, this summer?! Here’s the link: https://www.ferrybeach.org/youth-camps.html

Or, might your Youth like to attend Star Island, just off the NH coast this summer?! Here’s the link: https://starisland.org/

Or would you like to go to Unirondack in the Adirondacks? Here’s the link: https://www.unirondack.org

FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE with any of these youth experiences, check out Youth scholarship opportunities with the Aninger Fund!

The Aninger Fund is a trust fund created for the sole purpose of supporting leadership opportunities for the junior and senior youth of our congregation.

In the past, religious education youth have requested money to attend leadership and spiritual programs. Some excellent opportunities are available through the UUA (UU Association) and CER (Central Eastern Regional Group) and include, but are not limited to: River Rising, General Assembly, Summer Seminary for youth, Multicultural Leadership School (youth), and youth conferences. In return for the scholarship, the recipients share their experiences with the congregation through written work in our weekly email newsletter, Circuits, participation in a service or a presentation at Coffee, Crullers and Conversations.

How and when do I apply?

The scholarship application deadline for leadership opportunities occurring this spring is May 1st. Applications will be reviewed at the May RE Team meeting and any applications received after the May 1st deadline will not be considered until the November 1, 2022, review (if they are still relevant). Junior and Senior youth can download an individual or group application through the UUSS website, and submit the completed application to Director of Lifespan Religious Education Robin Ahearn.