Children and Youth Programming

5388875147_491b50e2e6_bExplore Children and Youth Religious Education Programming

Our purpose is to enrich and enhance your efforts as a parent/guardian and spiritual guide. We believe that you are the primary religious educator of your children. We urge you to honor your own spiritual path and questions, and share them with your children. Every experience and bit of wisdom will contribute to your child’s faith development.

We welcome your comments and questions about our programming, placement of your child in classes or whatever you feel the need to know, understand or share with us.  We want you to know that we are meeting the needs of your children.

Please contact our Interim Director of Lifespan Religious Education (IDLRE), Barbara Stoddard, our Young Adult & Youth Programs Coordinator, Andrew Young or our Assistant to the IDLRE, Liz Cook if you have questions or comments.

  • Barbara Stoddard, Interim Director of Lifespan Religious Education at
    or (512) 452-6168 ext. 306
  • Andrew Young, Youth & Young Adult Programming Coordinator at
    or (512) 452-6168 ext. 305
  • Liz Cook, Assistant to Director of Lifespan Religious Education at
    or (512) 452-6168 ext. 313
  • Karyn Skwarek, Childcare Coordinator at 

Our Children and Youth Religious Education staff and Children and Youth Programming Committee oversee our wonderful program.

RE Programs and Events

Infant Childcare, Room 21

Childcare in this room is for children 6 months to one years old only.

It is provided from  8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Please sign your child in and out and provide a number where we may contact you on site.  This room is also a nursing area, where a live video stream of the service is available.  Please provide your own diapers, wipes, baby bottles, shoes and a spare change of clothes.  Please pick up your child on time.

Toddler Childcare, Room 19

Childcare in this room is for children who are walking only.  It is provided from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Please sign your child in and out and provide a number where we may contact you on site.  We provide snacks and juice.  This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard playground.  Please provide sunscreen and bug spray if you would like us to apply it to your child (over 6 months).  Please provide your own diapers, wipes, baby bottles, shoes and a spare change of clothes.  Please pick up your child on time.

Childcare Activity Rooms, Room 17A&B

Childcare will be available from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for children in K-5th grades whose parents are attending the Forum or ARE classes. Children will be provided a small lunch and must be signed in. Please pick up your child on time.

Religious Education Children and Youth Classes

Our Children and Youth programming offers Sunday RE classes held during the 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. worship service times. Each week, children in Preschool through 5th grade begin their time at church in the sanctuary. After the “Story For All Ages”, they are “sung out” to the gallery, where Children will meet their teachers who will accompany them to the appropriate classroom. Visitors are encouraged to accompany their children to the classrooms to sign in their children.

The curricula for each session offers age-appropriate, informative, and engaging lessons about our UU faith and our connection to other faiths.

9:00-10:15am

  • 8th-9th Grades OWL (Our Whole Lives): Room 11. Taught by Andrew Young and Chelsea Blake

9:15-10:15am Session:

  • Preschool: Room 23.  Taught by Silvia Giebitz.
  • Kindergarten – 2nd & 3rd-5th Grades: Room 17A-B.  Taught by Laine Young and Zoe Enberg.
  • Youth Choir: Room 13. 4th-7th Grades
  • Children’s Choir: Room 15. K-3rd Grades

10:45-11:45am Session:

  • Preschool: Room 23.  Taught by Silvia Giebitz.
  • Kindergarten – 2nd Grades: Room 17A-B. Taught by Laine Young
  • 3rd - 5th Grades: Room 13B.  Taught by Zoe Enberg.
  • 6th-8th Grades (Middle School)*: Room 13A. Taught by Star Maddox.

10:45am-1:00pm

  • 9th-12th Grades: Room 11. (High School Youth Group, YRUU)*  Taught by our High School Teaching Team and Youth Advisers.
     
*
If you are a youth who is currently registered in the middle school class or if you are the parent/guardian of such a youth, you can contact other members of the middle school class as well as the middle school teacher by using the FUUCA Middle School RE mailing list. For high school youth and parents/guardians, you can contact other members of the high school class as well as the high school teacher by using the FUUCA High School RE mailing list.

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education (8th-9th)

Our Whole Lives is a Unitarian Universalist Association-approved lifespan human sexuality course.  In this course issues such as body development, gender, sexuality, reproduction, relationships, and safety are discussed. This semester we are offering  classes for our youth in grades 8 and 9.  A parent orientation is mandatory for participation in all children and youth OWL classes.  The classes are taught by one male and one female OWL-certified instructors. Please contact Andrew Young at   for more information.

Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU)

YRUU is a youth-led group that meets on Sundays. Youth focus on social justice issues. Activities include:  planning the annual youth service, organizing and attending social events with other UU churches. The YRUU youth also plan and attend activities such as lock-ins (overnight meetings held at the church), rallies (weekend long events held by alternating churches in the district), social action projects (such as Hands on Housing), service projects, and camping trips. YRUU is a great way for high school youth to socialize and learn how to make their voices heard in society at large. Everyone is welcome, and members often bring friends with them. If you’d like to find out more about what is going on in YRUU, you can check out the FUUCA YRUU mailing list.

Children’s Choirs

The Children’s Choirs offer the children and youth of FUUCA a high level of vocal musical experience and the opportunity for personal expression of faith.

Summer Camps

  • Every July, First UU offers CampUU, a day camp for ages 6 and up designed to offer fun and an opportunity to learn and practice the seven principles of the UU faith. For the past four years, the theme of the camp has been Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
  • Each summer, the Southwest UU Conference offers week-long summer camps for 3rd-6th grades, 7th-9th grades, and 9th-12thgrades at U-bar-U near Kerrville, Texas.

Calendar

The Children and Youth RE calendars have a listing of upcoming events.

Registering Your Family

It is our policy that each child or youth under the age of 19 that attends RE programs must have a parent/guardian fill out a Family Registration Form by their third visit to the church. Families are welcome to register throughout the year. You do not have to be a member of the church to register your child with the RE Department.

We also invite you to join our Registered Families Google Mailing List by sending a message to .

Volunteering with Children and Youth RE

Help from parents/guardians and other church congregants is part of our cooperative community endeavor. A wide variety of volunteer opportunities are available to those who wish to assist with the various tasks involved in educating our children.