See the current Religious Education Calendar by clicking here.

 

The Unitarian Society of New Haven provides an inspiring and engaging Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE) program for preschool through high school aged children.  Classes and events focus on age-appropriate exploration and expression of oneself, the world and its faith traditions, and Unitarian Universalism.

Our religious education curricula follow an alternating year cycle, since most classes are multi-age.  In year “A” classes focus on Unitarian Universalist identity, history and values. In year “B” we explore the sources of Unitarian Universalism, including our Jewish-Christian heritage and other “neighboring faiths”, as well as the important role of science, nature, humanist perspectives and mystery in our own distinctly Unitarian Universalist faith development.  2023-2024 is a “B” year.

Click here to enroll a young person in RE classes for 2023-2024.

2023-2024 Children’s Religious Education Course Descriptions

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Children’s Chapel

One Sunday each month, children in grades Pre-K through 6 gather in person for shared children’s worship.  The goal of these chapels is for young people to learn and enjoy the process and elements of worship through sharing  joys and concerns, meditative readings, exploration of the eight UU principles and the six sources from which our faith draws inspiration, and occasional guest speakers on social justice topics. We welcome whole families to join in!

 

K-3rd Grade – Wonder Bags  

A small group exploration of the iconic stories that serve as teaching vehicles for Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Unitarian Universalist and Buddhist values and beliefs.  Each week students will find “Wonder Bags” containing a story, art materials and other activities in a large paper bag.  Working in multi-age small groups the students will read the story, share reactions, and respond to artistic, and/or play based prompts about the story.  Teachers will be on hand to guide students’ experience, but will not be directly instructing the group. 

4-6th Grade – Sacred Places, Sacred Spaces

This curriculum, developed here at USNH, will invite students to contextualize the formative stories of the world’s faith traditions.  Each week, teachers will share a new story from the Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Native American (Lakota Sioux) traditions.  Students will work to identify the real world geographical location of each story.  They will then explore that region in today’s hyper-connected world, looking closely at the ways the space and place may have helped shape the story and, perhaps, our very beliefs themselves.  In March, 2024 this class will transition to the 4-6th grade Our Whole Lives curriclum, which will take us through the end of RE classes in May.  

 

Middle School: Grades 7th/8th grade – Our Whole Lives (OWL)

This 26-session sexuality education program for middle grades models and teaches caring, compassion, respect, and justice. A holistic program that moves beyond the intellect to address the attitudes, values, and feelings that youth have about themselves and the world.

Unlike many other sexuality curricula currently available, this program is comprehensive and progressive. In an inclusive and developmentally appropriate manner, it addresses sensitive topics that are typically excluded such as Social Media awareness and safety, communication, self-care, LGBTQ+ issues and advocacy.  The curriculum was co-developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ, and the underlying values of the program reflect the justice-oriented traditions of both denominations.

 

 

More than just Sunday School

We also offer a variety of age-specific and multi-generational social events, social justice projects, and worship opportunities for both our congregation and the public.  Be sure to sign up for the USNH newsletter and check the Religious Education Schedule to hear about these and other events and opportunities!