Our Whole Lives (OWL) for Children & Youth

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a special unit of seven lessons, grounded in UU values, that provide age-appropriate information about birth, babies, bodies and families. Parents and caregivers learn more about the curriculum and enroll their 1st or 2nd graders in OWL at a mandatory orientation to the program. The 1st grade class will run from October-December, 2024. (More information will be provided to all registered 1st and 2nd grade families in September).

PDF of important dates for 1st/2nd Grade OWL

1st/2nd Grade Homelinks are designed to help continue the conversation your OWLet discussed and learned in class on Sunday throughout the week, and beyond.  They include book suggestions, information, and more.  They will also be emailed to families with their weekly check-in email.

In addition to the Homelinks above, there are several great resources for families with early elementary children.

• The UUA has created a series of videos, “Under Your Wing” to support parents and caregivers with conversations, information, and confidence when navigating the OWL topics.
• Amaze Jr. is an excellent resource for parents and caregivers and their OWLets to learn about many topics including, “Where do babies come from?” “What are boundaries?” “What is consent?” and more!  This is perfect for kids ages 3-7.  The website also includes a podcast just for the adults!
• Sex Positive Families  provides education and resources that help families raise sexually healthy children using a shame-free, comprehensive, and pleasure-positive approach.
• More books, podcasts, TV shows and more are available by emailing Claire!

Nine weeks are devoted to a special unit as 5th graders explore lessons from the age-appropriate Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality curriculum, taught by trained facilitators. Before each Sunday morning session, children have homework to read with caring adults at home. Parents and caregivers learn more about the lesson content and enroll their 5th or 6th graders in OWL at a mandatory orientation to the program. The classes will run from January-April, 2025. (More information will be provided to all registered 5th & 6th grade families in late November 2024.)

5th/6th Grade Homelinks (available in December 2024) are designed to help continue the conversation your OWLet discussed and learned in class on Sunday throughout the week, and beyond.  They include vocabulary relevant to each session’s class, readings to do with your OWLet from the supplement book, “It’s Perfectly Normal”, as well as optional additional material.

In addition to to the resources shared in the Homelinks above, there are additional resources including:

• Amaze is an excellent resource for OWLets and their adults alike! Some videos are shared in class, but additional videos are available when you just need more information on a particular topic.
• Sex Positive Families  provides education and resources that help families raise sexually healthy children using a shame-free, comprehensive, and pleasure-positive approach.
• You can listen to this Brains On! podcast about Fancy Men: the historical changes to gender expression, and discuss how things are different even from when you were a kid to now!
• You Know, Sex and Sex is a Funny Word are age-appropriate books OWLets can read alone or with an adult to learn more about bodies, gender, sex, puberty and more.
• It’s Totally Normal and Wait, What? Are LGBTQIA+ inclusive books discussing puberty, sex, gender and more that can be read OWLet and adult together, or OWLet alone in a fun, graphic-novel option.
• More books, podcasts, TV shows and more are available by emailing Claire!

The year-long Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum for middle schoolers helps our 8th graders make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and 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. 

Parents and caregivers attend a mandatory orientation in early September. In order to create a safe environment and to allow learning to build through the year, youth must be enrolled in Fall in order to attend OWL classes. This class is also open to 9th graders who joined First Universalist mid-year their 8th grade year, or for whom a year delayed is a best fit for them.

PDF of important dates for 8th Grade OWL

There are no homelinks or homework assignments for 8th grade OWL. However, in each weekly email, Claire will include, “Questions to ask your OWLet” that are related to the topic each week. These are not mandatory, and are best used when you have contained your OWL-let in the car on their way to school or an extracurricular activity. Bonus points given if their friends are also in the car when you discuss social media, consent, anatomy, and more!

• Amaze is an excellent resource for OWLets and their adults alike!  Some videos are shared in class, but additional videos are available when you just need more information on a particular topic.
• Sex Positive Families  provides education and resources that help families raise sexually healthy children using a shame-free, comprehensive, and pleasure-positive approach.
• You Know, Sex and Sex is a Funny Word are age-appropriate books OWLets can read alone or with an adult to learn more about bodies, gender, sex, puberty and more.
• It’s Totally Normal and Wait, What? Are LGBTQIA+ inclusive books discussing puberty, sex, gender and more that can be read OWLet and adult together, or OWLet alone in a fun, graphic-novel option.
• Family Tree Clinic, Red Door, Planned Parenthood, Annex Teen Clinic, are all Twin Cities Local Clinics with STI testing, gender affirming care, condoms, contraception, education and more.
• Scarleteen is a queer sex-ed resource appropriate for teens and up.  They offer articles on pregnancy, gender, sexual health, disability, culture and more!
• Claire has created a Twin Cities specific resource list for mental health, domestic violence, housing, sexual health, sexual violence, and disordered eating. This is shared and posted in-class during OWL sessions. 
• More books, podcasts, TV shows and more are available by emailing Claire!

Senior High OWL will resume January 2026! Check back for more information as we get closer to the date.

Senior High OWL is offered most years and meets from January through March. While this class follows the OWL curriculum, grounded in UU values, the class topics are determined each year by the group of senior high youth.  This opt-in class equips participants with information they will need after they graduate high school including: healthy relationships, sexual health, sexual behaviors, identity, and more. We seek to understand the intersection of our values with real-world scenarios.

Parents and caregivers of minor youth attend a required orientation prior to class starting. Parents and caregivers of youth over the age of 18 are highly encouraged to attend the orientation.

There are no homelinks or homework assignments for Senior High OWL. However, in each weekly email, Claire will include “Questions to ask your OWLet” that are related to the topic each week.  These are not mandatory, and are best used when your OWL-let emerges from their room seeking food and sustenance in the kitchen. Bonus points given if their friends are also in the kitchen when you discuss healthy sexual activity, consent, sex toys, and more!

• Family Tree Clinic, Red Door, Planned Parenthood, Annex Teen Clinic, are all Twin Cities Local Clinics with STI testing, gender affirming care, condoms, contraception, education and more.
• Scarleteen is a queer sex-ed resource appropriate for teens and up.  They offer articles on pregnancy, gender, sexual health, disability, culture and more!
• Smitten Kitten is a shop located in Minneapolis with gender affirming under clothing, toys, books, and knowledgeable staff.
• Claire has created a Twin Cities specific resource list for mental health, domestic violence, housing, sexual health, sexual violence, and disordered eating.  This is shared and posted in-class during OWL sessions. 
• More books, podcasts, TV shows and more are available by emailing Claire!