Our Whole Lives Teacher Trainings

OWL booksOur Whole Lives (OWL) helps participants 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. [Read more about OWL programs.]

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Teacher Trainings are intended to equip individuals to lead OWL programs in their community.

District Staff is working hard to ensure that we meet the demand for OWL teacher trainings for all age and grade levels. To fill the needs, we are working with the Mass Conference of the United Church of Christ. Our arrangement at the moment is as follows:

  • Clara Barton District will host OWL trainings for the Kindergarten to Grade 6 age group
  • Mass Bay District will host OWL trainings for Grades 7 to 12
  • Mass Conference UCC will host trainings for the Young Adult and Adult age groups

UPCOMING TRAININGS

Upcoming trainings are listed in the column on the right. Click on any one of those for additional information on each one. If you do not see a posting there for a training appropriate to your needs, none is currently scheduled. Please check back again to see if that has changed. Note that registration for trainings opens at different times depending on the hosting organization. In the case of CBD and MBD, registration does not typically open until 3 or 4 months prior to the training.

FEES

Our fee for any session is $350, which includes instruction, room and board. The fee is the same whether participants stay on site overnight or not.

CANCELLATION POLICY 

  • Cancellation prior to the registration deadline will be subject to a $25 handling fee.
  • Cancellations made after the registration deadline but a week or more before the training will be subject to a $150 fee, unless a replacement is arranged, in which case a $25 handling fee still applies.
  • Refunds for cancellations made within the week prior to the training will be given only under extreme circumstances and at the discretion of the district staff. There is no penalty for finding someone to replace you if you cannot come.

AGENDA

OWL trainers expect that all registrants will be present for the complete training. They have found that coming late and leaving early is disruptive to the group building process and can hinder work that is to be done in small groups. We therefore advise  participations to stay overnight if they can, though this is not required. Basics for the training schedule is as follows:

  • Friday night check in at 5:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6:00 and instruction from 6:30 to 9:00 PM
  • Saturday instruction from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM - with breaks
  • Sunday instruction from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM - with breaks

CURRICULUM

Sexuality and FaithParticpants must bring their own copies of the O.W.L. Curriculum and companion book on Sexuality and Faith. These resources can be purchased from the UUA Bookstore. Links to further information on curricula are provided on event pages for each of our trainings. Note, if you have a team of people coming from the same congregation, you are welcome to share copies of the curriculum. It is not necessary for each person on your team to have their own copy.

TRAINING SITE and SPECIAL NEEDS

Most trainings are held at the Walker Center at 171 Grove Street in Newton, MA. Most guest rooms accommodate two persons. A few accommodate three.

Bedding and towels are provided. Guests are asked to bring their own soap and shampoo.

If you would like a single room, please make a request for that and let us know if you have a special need associated with that. Though we cannot guarantee availability, we do everything we can to accommodate people with special requirements for a single room.

ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS

Trainings are also available at other locations in other areas of the country. For more information, click here.

QUESTIONS?

Contact Meck Groot, Program and Social Justice Coordinator, by email at cbd-mbd-programs [at] uua [dot] org or call 617-393-4216.