There are activities in addition to Sunday Morning classes that we offer for school-age youth. At this time, activities have been altered to reflect our need to gather virtually. Contact our Director of Religious Education, Steve Cooper, for details.
Chalice Lighter’s Training Workshop
3rd – 6th Grade
Each year we invite students from 3rd through 6th grade to be trained as “Chalice Lighters” — those who light our flaming chalice at the beginning of each worship service, in person or pre-recorded remotely. Purely voluntary, the training takes place in a Sunday afternoon workshop followed by an installation ceremony during a Sunday service.
Spark!
3rd – 5th Grade Social Group
October – May
Join your friends on the 3rd Friday of the month for fun, games, movies or just socializing. Sunday mornings are busy and the building can be too congested for engaged socialization. Spark! Night gives our younger youth an opportunity to connect with their peers. This occurs during the same time as FIRE for middle school so that families with children from 3rd – 8th grade only need to commit to one night.
FIRE
Middle School Group
October – May
Join your friends on (usually) the 3rd Friday of the month from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at church — and sometimes away from church — for fun and a chance to hang out together. Some Fridays we may have crafts, games, or a movie or YouTube night at church, and other times we may have a bowling, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, “terror trolley” and campfire, or theater trip outing. We serve our community by decorating lunch bags for holiday P.A.D.S. and assembling birthday-party boxes for the Humanitarian Service Project. We hope you’ll join us!
Transition, Affirmation and Graduation
11th & 12th Grade
(Oct. 9 – Apr. 23)
The Transition, Affirmation and Graduation Class is designed for our high school juniors and seniors to be both the culmination of their years of involvement in the church’s religious education program for youth and the bridge to their participation in the life of adult church. The program revolves around the five basic components of religious education: community building, learning, leadership, social action and worship.
Each student will partner with an adult mentor with whom they will learn more about DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church and the wider world of Unitarian Universalism. During the year each student will also develop their own personal belief statement which they will share with the congregation at a group led worship service in the spring.
Participants will meet as a group with their mentors one Sunday a month for lunch and discussion. Separate student/mentor meetings and activities will take place at a mutually agreed upon time each month.
Parent and Student Orientation: September 18 at 12:15pm
Regular meetings (12:15 – 2:15pm): Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Feb. 12, Mar. 12, Apr. 9
TAG Service: April 23, 2023
Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education
An important program offered for our children, in age-appropriate curricula during elementary, middle school and high school, is the UUA’s Our Whole Lives (OWL) lifespan learning classes – a comprehensive view of sexuality, healthy relationships and respect for yourself and others. The program provides orientation and guidance for parents to have meaningful conversations with their children as well. In March 2019, two of our OWL teachers participated in the local Not Your Nuclear Family podcast: Let’s Talk About Sex and Other Stuff With Our Kids.
All OWL classes are offered in-person only.
First and Second Grade (12:30 – 1:30pm)
Fourth and Fifth Grade (12:30 – 1:45pm)
(Sundays, Jan. 22 – Mar. 19, 2023)
The Our Whole Lives (OWL) program for elementary age youth is guided by two principles: parents have primary responsibility for sexuality education with their children and sexuality education begins at home and continues through an open and honest communication between parents and children.
The OWL classes take children through age-appropriate activities and provide a support system for parents. Lessons and activities are led by UUA trained OWL facilitators.
*PLEASE NOTE: Parent and child orientation is required for both programs.
OWL 1st & 2nd Grade and 4th & 5th Grade Parent/Child Orientations are Sunday, January 8 12:30 – 3:00pm
Sixth and Seventh Grade
Fall 2022
Due to not being able to offer the 4th & 5th grade level OWL during Covid we will offer a make-up version of the course. The offered time and format will be decided by the parents of eligible youth and availability of OWL facilitators.
Contact Steve (dre@dupageuuchurch.org) for more information.
Eighth and Ninth Grade (12:30 – 3:00pm)
October 16, 2022 – May 21, 2023
This comprehensive program on human sexuality provides accurate and appropriate sexual information in a safe environment. With the help of trained adult leaders, the participants will develop good communication skills with each other and with adults about sexuality, build positive and healthy attitudes about their own sexuality, and learn how to make responsible decisions about their sexual lifestyle and sexual behavior.
This class will be closed to newcomers after November 6th, 2022
This class will meet on 1st and 3rd Sundays each month.
* NOTE: Parental permission is required for participation in this program. An orientation is required for parents.
Parent Orientation for 8th & 9th Grade OWL
Sunday, October 2 12:30 – 3:00pm
Tenth and Eleventh Grade
Overnight (Nov 11, Dec 8, Jan 13, Feb 10, Mar 10)
Due to not being able to offer the 8th & 9th grade level OWL during Covid, this will be a combined version containing the 8th & 9th grade content and 10th & 11th grade content. Two sessions will be offered Friday night from 6:30 to 9:30pm and two more Saturday morning from 9:00am to noon (with breaks). Youth will stay overnight; breakfast will be provided.
* NOTE: Parental permission is required for participation in this program. An orientation is required for parents.
Parent Orientation for 10th & 11th Grade OWL
Sunday, October 2 (12:30 – 3:00pm)
You may contact our Director of Religious Education, Steve Cooper, to learn more about any of our youth programs or how to register your child.