Our Whole Lives, Grades 7-9

A sexuality education program for youth that 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.

Click here for a Boston Globe article about the Our Whole Lives program

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. Although the curriculum was developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ, this volume 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.

This curriculum is designed for groups ranging from 10 to 15 participants, but it has been implemented successfully with groups as small as 8 or as large as 25. This program has also been used successfully in a variety of community settings, including schools, youth-serving agencies, and religious communities.

Each of the 27 sessions is planned for 90 minutes and includes session goals, learning objectives, materials checklist, session plan, leaders resources, and handouts. Each session has a beginning and closing ritual. There is a reentry and reading period at the beginning of each session that offers participants an opportunity to get reacclimated to the group and to discuss their experiences since they were last together. Next, there is a brief time for facilitators to answer questions from the question box followed by a reading related to the day's topic. Each session ends with a period of reflection during which youth are asked to think about what they have learned and how they might utilize the information or skills in their lives outside of the program.

Session plan and handouts for Parent Orientation Session are included.
Intended for students in grades seven, eight, and/or nine.
Updated in 2005.
OWL
Our Whole Lives