The primary goals of YRE are:

To teach our UU principles and purposes

To develop UU identity in our children and youth and assure that they are able to articulate their faith

To promote and model right relations, ethical living, and loving behavior.

To nurture spirituality as a way of connecting with self, others, nature, and the mystery of life.

To provide a broad base of experience and knowledge of world religions so that our children and youth may think critically and make informed decisions regarding individual religious beliefs and practices.

To affirm and promote a sense of belonging and contribution to our inter-generational community.

To connect with our local and world communities through three types of social justice activities: education and awareness, direct service, and advocacy for systemic change.

Below is the monthly calendar for children’s and youth RE:

For the summer program we currently have four classes that meet: Preschool for ages 3-5 years old, Kindergarten – 5th grade, 6th – 8th grade, and 9th – 12th grade. We offer nursery care for infants through toddler age children (birth-2 years old). If you are unsure of where your child is going on a particular Sunday, we have a communication bulletin board in the gathering space near the front main entrance that shows where children and youth are going that day, as well as upcoming weeks. For the summer programming, child's class level is based on the 2007-08 school year.

We have twelve great Sundays in store for our children and youth here at MVUUF. This summer our theme is Mother Earth. Our children will learn how to take care of the earth through gardening, composting, as well as different types of recycling projects. Our goal is to help guide children and youth in becoming green and earth friendly. Below is a list of our activities, by age/grade, that we will be doing on a given Sunday this summer.

K-8th grade will follow these earthly activities:

June 15: Gardening-Children grades K-8th will be working together in our new flower bed. They will be hand tilling, adding organic material, planting flowers, and mulching. Each week a class, group of children/youth, or child/youth will water the garden

June 22: Stepping Stones- Each classroom will be given the supplies to create a class stepping stone. These stones will be put in the garden once they are dry.

June 29 (9:30-12:30) Field Trip to Cox Arboretum- All children/youth will go on a tour of Cox Arboretum as David Nolin as our guide. Any family or person from MVUUF is welcome to attend. Children and youth who do not go on the fieldtrip will be in service with their families (with the exception of nursery children). Also note the time 9:30-12:30 field-trip. Children and youth will also have permission slips that will need to be filled out in order to go on the field trip (with the exception of them going with their families).

July 6: Children’s/Youth Worship- Worships will be themed around mother earth. Children and youth worship is always on the first Sunday of each month. The worship during the summer months are planned by Shannon (K-5th) and David (6th-12th) Harper.

July 13: Composting- Children and youth will be learning about composting as a way of recycling and also how composting helps feed the earth.

July 20: Tin Can Herb Pots, can creation- Children and youth will be recycling tin cans but decorating them and creating flower pots. This is part one of a two week activity.

July 27: Tin Can Herb Pots, planting Herbs- Children and youth will be using their recycled tin cans flower pots that they created the previous week and will be planting herbs inside them. This is part two of a two week activity.

August 3: Children’s/Youth Worship-- Worships will be themed around mother earth. Children and youth worship is always on the first Sunday of each month. The worship during the summer months are planned by Shannon (K-5th) and David (6th-12th) Harper.

August 10: Recycled Art Workshop- Children and youth will be creating art using recycled materials (much like what the adults at MVUUF did for the recycled art workshop).

August 17: Recycling Charts- Children and youth will be learning what recycling means, and what can be recycled (what the numbers mean). They will create a chart for MVUUF and for at home

August 24: Recycled bags workshop- Children and youth will be using making and decorating “grocery” bags using old clothes. We hope to use these bags created by our YRE as a fundraiser. Dawn will lead this workshop.

August 31: End of the summer Earth Party

Pre-K

This class will be lead in activities that will support learning about the earth. Some of these activities include; gardening, paper making, making crayons, composting. Each week they will learn something about the earth or recycling.

Teachers for this class will help guide the teens in teen chosen activities that are based around the mother earth theme. The teens have planned for June into July so far.

The plan is:

June 15 Create educational article or brochure about what people can do to help the environment, to include info for awareness about reducing energy (e.g., turning off lights) usage, recycling and composting AT MVUUF. (Kids are to bring info or laptop to help.)

June 22 Continue work/complete brochure/article, pPlan for making compost bin, & lead a workshop for the children on paper making during the congregational meeting

June 29 Field trip to Cox Arboretum (9:30-12:30)

Note: if teens chose to not go on the fieldtrip, they will need to go to service

July 13 Build Compost Bin

Genevieve Harvey, Lifespan Religious Education Program Council Representative

Renee' Atkinson, Religious Education Assistant

Kayleigh Harvey, Nursery Care Provider

Kate Halpin: Child Care Provider