Our Whole Lives (Grades 7-8)

Lifespan Sexuality Education rooted in UU Values

A Mandatory parent meeting will take place on Sunday, September 15th, at Noon. Sign up by clicking HERE.

We will be offering OWL for 7th & 8th Grades this Fall and winter on Sunday Mornings from 10:30am – 2:00pm.  Read on for more information about the program’s Bill of Rights, Assumptions, and Goals.  Contact Jesi Laughlin with any questions or concerns you may have DLRE@peoriauuchurch.org

BILL OF RIGHTS

Our whole Lives is based on the belief that youth have the right to

• Ask any questions they have about sexuality
• Receive full and accurate information about sexuality
• Gain the knowledge and values needed to make decisions about sexual matters
• Express their sexuality in ways that are healthy and life affirming
• Be treated with respect by facilitators and other participants in the group

PROGRAM ASSUMPTIONS

Our whole Lives is also based on the following assumptions about human sexuality:

• Human beings begin developing genitals and reproductive organs in utero and need to continue to care for them throughout their lives.
• Sexuality is a good part of the human experience.
• Sexuality includes much more than sexual behavior. It also includes physical changes, gender identity, feelings and thoughts about bodies, relationships, and social interactions. 
• Sexuality affects human beings throughout the lifespan.
• It is natural to express sexual feelings in a variety of ways.
• People engage in healthy sexual behavior for a variety of reasons, including to express caring and love, to experience intimacy and connection with another, to share pleasure, to bring new life into the world, and to have fun and relax.
• Sexuality in our society is damaged by violence, exploitation, alienation, dishonesty, abuse of power, and the treatment of persons as objects.
• It is healthier for young teens to postpone partnered sexual activity that could lead to unintended physical or emotional health outcomes.

Parents/guardians, educators, and religious communities all face the challenge of creating environments that support and nurture sexual health. Young people need sexuality education programs that model and teach caring, compassion, respect, and justice. Such programs should be holistic, moving beyond the intellect to address the attitudes, values, and feelings that youth have about themselves and the world.

Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Grades 7–9 was developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. As the original and most comprehensive volume, it is the foundational component of the Our Whole Lives Lifespan Sexuality Education Series.

Although the Our Whole Lives series was developed by two progressive religious denominations, this curriculum is completely secular and free of specific religious doctrine or reference. However, the underlying values of the program reflect the justice oriented traditions of both denominations.

Unlike many other sexuality curricula currently available, Our Whole Lives: Sexuality Education for Grades 7–9 is not focused solely on preventing or reducing problems such as high rates of sexually transmitted infections and unintended teen pregnancies. While the program certainly equips youth with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to avoid these consequences, it has the more proactive goal of helping youth to become sexually healthy people who feel good about themselves and their bodies, remain healthy, and build positive, equitable loving relationships.

In an inclusive and developmentally appropriate manner, the Our Whole Lives program addresses sensitive topics that are excluded from many sexuality curricula. The program recognizes and respects the diversity of participants with respect to sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status. The activities and language used throughout the program have been carefully chosen to be as inclusive as possible of this human diversity.