2024-2025 church year: Please fill out this form to register individual children/teens for classes, and complete your annual family medical form here! And please click here to volunteer with our children and youth! 

Sunday Morning Classes

Nursery and Toddlers Ages 3 months to 3 years

Play time offered each Sunday morning by a professional child care providers and regular volunteers.

Spirit Play Ages 3-6

Spirit Play, a Montessori-based curriculum, begins in a circle to hear a story followed by individual work time that can include a range of expressive activities to explore what they are learning and to build connections with other children. It is a great class for active kids, as well as those who love to sit still and work on craft projects.

K-1 Our Whole Lives (OWL)* Ages 6-7 

Our first level of comprehensive sexuality education. In K-1 OWL through age appropriate stories, activities and games we cover: bodies and proper names for body parts, families and feelings, how to keep ourselves safe and consent, gender identity and how people are made. More information about the OWL curriculum is available here. K-1 OWL is an eight week program that students attend instead of their Spirit Play class for those weeks, there is often both a Fall and a Winter/Spring session offered.

Spirit Play 7-10

Spirit Play, a Montessori-based curriculum, begins in a circle to hear a story followed by individual work time that can include a range of expressive activities to explore what they are learning and to build connections with other children. It is a great class for active kids, as well as those who love to sit still and work on craft projects.

5th Grade Our Whole Lives (OWL)* Ages 10-11 

Our second level of comprehensive sexuality education. In 5th OWL we cover: the changes that bodies make going from child to adult, healthy relationships, how to keep ourselves safe, consent, and how to find accurate information, among other topics. More information about the OWL curriculum is available here. 5th OWL is an eleven week program that students attend instead of their Spirit Play or Neighboring Faiths class for those weeks, there is often both a Fall and a Winter/Spring session offered.

Building a Better World (Middle / High School Games) Ages 11-18

This year’s curriculum for teens and tweens, Building a Better World: What Role will YOU Play? explores questions of meaning and social justice. Using prompted discussions and collaborative activities, groups will engage with issues of race, gender, disabilities, environment, tribalism, mortality, agency, and economic injustice— all while practicing safe gaming methods through the creation and maintenance of covenant. A combination of guided RPG-style world building sessions and free choice board/card gaming days.

Neighboring Faiths* Ages 11-13 (run in odd numbered fall years)

In the Neighboring Faiths class, young people become better citizens by learning about other faith communities, through field trips to those faith communities. Major world religions are introduced and discussed, then a field visit is taken to see what that worship looks like and finally there is a discussion about each experience. We engage with Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Unitarian Universalism, and many more traditions.

8th Grade Our Whole Lives (OWL)* Ages 13-14 

Our third and most intensive level of comprehensive sexuality education. In 8th Grade OWL we revisit previously covered topics of health, relationships, safety and sexuality in more detail and depth. More information about the OWL curriculum is available here. This is a full RE year program (mid September through mid to late May), and in addition to Sunday morning classes there are two Saturday retreats that typically run afternoon through evening.

Coming of Age* Ages 14-15 / 9th grade (run in even numbered fall years)

Youth explore elements of what they believe, develop personal expressions of their faith, and delve more deeply into what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and part of a UU congregation. This closed cohort, commitment-based class requires consistent weekly attendance, and may include one or two weekend retreats, leading up to a worship service at the end of the year (late May or early June) where youth present their learnings and faith statements to our congregation. At the completion of the program, youth are offered the opportunity to become members of First UU. The group closes at the beginning in October, with no new participants added mid-year. 

Get Real, HS Sexuality Education* Ages 15-19 

In Get Real we revisit previously covered topics of health, relationships, safety and sexuality in more detail and depth that reflects the participants’ maturity.  Get Real generally runs once in the Winter/Spring.

*These classes require prior registration and are not drop-in. Coming of Age closes to new students at the end of October. Because of pandemic disruptions, if there is a class you would like to enroll in but your child does not fit the age requirements contact the office to discuss possibilities. For more information about any RE programming contact Amber Scott, Director of Religious Exploration.

Other opportunities for children and youth

Choir

Peace Pals

Is our children’s choir for ages 5 – 10. They sing for church services several times a year, participate in the Holiday and Spring concerts, and perform for special occasions. Peace Pals sings music of many styles that is appropriate for younger voices and reflects UU ideas. Peace Pals often incorporate movement and gestures, and always lots of fun, into their music. Rehearsals are 1st and 3rd Sunday Mornings from 12:30 – 1:00 (after service)

Rising Voices

Is our youth choir for ages 12 – 19. Pending participants, our teens sing for church services several times a year (often with Spirit of Life Choir), participate in the Holiday and Spring concerts, and occasionally perform for special occasions. Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:30

Youth Group

For those aged 12-19 (still in high school) this group uses a shared ministry approach to having fun while figuring out themselves and the world. It meets second and fourth Sundays of the month after worship service as well as several special events and activities like visiting a pumpkin patch, baking pies, camping, taking service trips and engaging in social justice actions.

Navigator USA Scouts

Chapter 147 at First UU is part of a co-ed, secular scouting organization that welcomes all people. Their mission is to help children and their parents spend more time outdoors, discovering what nature has to offer while getting to know each other. We have scouts from 5-18 years of age and meet 3 Sundays a month (1st / 2nd / 3rd), September through May.

Teen Teaching Assistants and Sitters

For youth who would rather help in a classroom than attend a class there are many opportunities to assist with RE, from managing bringing in the light during the worship service, to being an assistant teacher in a classroom, or setting out and cleaning up snack. There are lots of possibilities that can be tailored to individual interests and availability. Please note that paid childcare roles can only be held by youth age 14+, per Ohio law.

Teen Audio Visual Team

Would you like to help run worship on Sunday mornings? Learn how the camera and video streaming systems work? Get a chance to run the sound board? There are spots available to youth 12+ on our church A/V team. Please note that paid positions can only be held by youth age 14+, per Ohio law. Contact Myra Hartmann for more information.

Peace Camp

Every day—in so many ways—we are reminded that we live in a world of conflict.  Help your children explore ideas of negotiating a world that is challenging in terms of conflict, discrimination, and self esteem…. by sending them to First UU’s Peace Camp.  There we explore ideas of peace-making “Within, Among, and Between.”

In the span of a week, children will experience many peaceful practices, including developing a sense of community, problem-solving, meditating, singing, walking in nature, and more.  In these ways, our “peace kids” will start to build their own paths towards peaceful living.

This long-standing First UU day camp is facilitated by beloved Sunday school and SYC teacher Jen Bojanowski, Director of Religious Exploration Amber Scott, and SYC teacher Dawn Nauman, along with teen helpers and other volunteers from our community.

Peace Camp traditionally falls the first two weeks of August each year (9am-noon M-F), with a different age group each week (generally 6-8years and 9-11years). Be the first to sign up by joining the Religious Exploration announcements email list!

The suggested registration fee is $100 per child, but what you are able to contribute is not a barrier to participation! Families who are able are encouraged to give more, to help extend participation to those with financial need. Our biggest camp expense is fair pay for our beloved teachers!