Affirming Access to Comprehensive Sex Ed for All Ages

Affirming Access to Comprehensive Sex Ed for All Ages

You most likely have received your ballots at the time of reading this brief. Please notice Referendum 90, which will decide whether Senate Bill 5395 — colloquially known as Washington’s sex-education bill — will be enacted into law.

At East Shore, we support SB 5395 and ask that you vote YES on Referendum 90. SB 5395 was passed by the state Legislature earlier this year. Approving the referendum would enact the law, which, in short, requires all school districts in the state to teach “comprehensive age appropriate sexual health education” by the 2022-2023 school year.

We’re fortunate to be in a faith community that has for decades provided comprehensive age appropriate sexual health education to our congregation and the larger community, and we know that not all children, or adults, have access to the empowering information and safe conversations they need to navigate life in a sexual body. By supporting SB 5395, which again has already been approved over years of careful and diligent work from Washington State Legislature, more children, youth, and adults will have access to this much needed and valued information.

We can use OWL to understand the potential of what we mean when we say comprehensive age appropriate sexual health education. The Unitarian Universalist Association created “About Your Sexuality,” in 1971. AYS, as it was called, responded to what was going on in popular culture and made it clear for the UUA how important it was to offer a values based education about sexuality to our community. AYS lasted for many, many years, and East Shore used this curriculum. In 1993, the United Church of Christ wanted to team up with UUA to develop a curriculum. Using the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education developed by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, the two denominations developed a research-based program that aligned with the values of both faiths: Our Whole Lives. This curriculum continues to be co-developed and improved, with new editions and volumes being released this year and last. This year conversations have centered around the pandemic, affirming OWL values at home, OWL and multiculturalism, and decentering whiteness in OWL and our UUA educational material.

OWL affirms the self-worth of each of us, and is a welcoming sex education program, discussing gender and sexuality in ways that encourage self-discovery, allyship, and coming-out. OWL focuses on the importance of sexual health, and healthy, safe relationships. Its’ lifespan scope encompasses kindergarten through older adult. OWL includes relationships and personal skills in addition to sexual health and behavior. OWL addresses decision-making, clarifies values, builds interpersonal skills, and deepens understanding of spiritual, emotional, and societal aspects of sexuality, which can influence the decisions we make. Its “three Rs” are Responsibility, Respect, and Relationships, and OWL discusses how they all inform one another to empower each other and ourselves.

While all of our OWL programs are on hold during the pandemic, our faith and congregation certainly continue to affirm OWL values, ethics, and practices. By offering resources in your home through developmentally appropriate reading and viewing material, as well as directly in supportive, safe, and loving conversation, parents and caregivers are able to continue providing some of what OWL hopes to provide in the home.

Have questions? We’d love to hear what’s coming up in your homes with regards to OWL related content. We’re happy to help partner with you on this journey! Each of us with bodies, minds, and hearts are sacred, and we deserve to have the support we need to help navigate and understand that. Remember, our whole lives we are on a journey of learning and discovery, so let’s equip ourselves to live out our values and treat each other with deep kindness.

Learn more about OWL here: https://www.uua.org/re/owl

Learn more about Referendum 90 and SB 5395 here: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/10/01/45759277/heres-whos-bankrolling-the-opposition-to-the-sex-ed-referendum

Are you interested in joining a group of parents and caregivers next year (2021) to work through the OWL curricula “Parents as Sexuality Educators”? Write to Amanda Uluhan to get a sign up going.  [email protected]

Written by Amanda Uluhan, Director of Religious Education

Seeking Religious Education Volunteers

Seeking Religious Education Volunteers

Our fall programs for children and youth are up and running, but we need some more adults to volunteer to keep them going. For each of our online Zoom rooms, we need two safe and loving adults over 25. Offline, we need your help organizing materials for classes and reaching out to our families to stay connected. Volunteer for middle youth group on Friday night from 6:30-8:00pm and high school youth groups on Friday night from 6:30-9:00pm, Coming of Age on select Sundays starting November 1. There are lots of different size commitments available, from one-off facilitation roles to consistent, deep engagement with programming. We provide training and onboarding for adult volunteers. To volunteer or learn about volunteer opportunities, contact Director of Religious Education Amanda Uluhan or fill out this form today.

Volunteer for Our Children & Youth

VOLUNTEER IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAMS

Please use our Sign-up Genius Sheets for volunteer scheduling!

Children and Youth Programs have shifted during the pandemic to create online, offline, and hybrid programming. We continue to lift up our mission of building community, promoting justice, exploring spirituality, and practicing love.

Our fall programs for children and youth are up and running, but we need some more adults to volunteer to keep them going. For each of our online Zoom rooms, we need two safe and loving adults over 25. Offline, we need your help organizing materials for classes and reaching out to our families to stay connected.

With your curiosity and dedication, we create offerings that are accessible to children and youth and that help to build our beloved multigenerational community.

There are lots of different size commitments available, from one-off facilitation roles to consistent, deep engagement with programming.

  • Volunteer for middle youth group on Friday night from 6:30-7:30pm and high school youth groups on Friday night from 6:30-8:30pm, Coming of Age on select Sundays starting November 1. Read up on our current offerings to see how you can plug in today;
  • Volunteer on a weekly, biweekly, quarterly, or annual basis;
  • Volunteer as a co-facilitator, involved in content sharing and creation or volunteer as our safe and loving second adult in the room;
  • Help organize our social distance Soul Saturdays with engaging content and safe, drive-thru friendly hand-offs;
  • Help to include children and youth in our Worship services;
  • Support and create all ages activities and intergenerational activities by asking your ministry team today “How can we include children and youth in these activities today?
  • Volunteer in the Children and Youth Team (see below)

To volunteer in any of our programs for children or youth, and to learn about volunteer opportunities, get in touch with Director of Religious Education Amanda Uluhan or fill out the form below.

OUR COMMUNITY’S SAFETY IS A PRIORITY

All our staff and volunteers are trained in East Shore’s Safe Congregations procedures and background checked. We provide regular training and on boarding for adult volunteers. We use annual background checks for all volunteers who work with vulnerable populations, such as our children and youth! We use the detailed UUA Safety Guidelines to help steer our own safety procedures. East Shore is a safe and secure place where children are loved and accepted because of who they are! As we engage more in our online spaces, there is still a need for volunteers who go through our teacher training and youth advisor process.

SAFE CONGREGATIONS – TRAINING & EXPECTATIONS

Here at East Shore, we value the personhood of everyone who walks through our doors. We must also be intentional in making our faith community safe. Our congregation cannot ignore this reality. With love at the center, we must respond with direct, positive, and preventative actions to build and sustain our congregation as a safe place for all children, youth and adults. We do this through Safe Congregations Training.

Creating a Safe Congregation community at East Shore includes:

  • screening process to assure that all persons working with children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults can provide a healthy and safe place.

  • training component to build awareness and provide skills that help us be sensitive and alert to our unique role, power, and abusive situations and appropriate loving, respectful relationships.

  • An expectation that all those who provide care for those under 18 and vulnerable adults will undergo training and participate in learning opportunities through East Shore and the UUA regularly.

All adults working with our children and youth programs need to attend our Safe Congregation training one time. Safe Congregation training is conducted throughout the year so all have a chance to attend prior to working with our Salt House Kids programs.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAMS TEAM

This RE core team visions and plans! We are a diverse team of congregants, parents, teachers, and RE staff. Our groups meets weekly to to support children and youth at East Shore.

The team supports ESUC on issues such as:

  • Visioning a lifelong path of faith development for children
  • Advocating for involvement of children and youth throughout the congregation in programs such as Sunday worship, ministry team events and teams, and community service opportunities
  • Gathering, Training, and On boarding Adult Volunteers
  • Providing programming for children and youth in peer and affinity groups
  • Evaluating how our RE programs can live into anti-racist, anti-oppression, multicultural ideals
  • Getting feedback from parents and teachers about religious exploration at ESUC

How might you be a part of this vital work?

🖝  See East Shore’s Director of Religious Education, Amanda Uluhan for more information about easy ways you can support children, families, and youth at East Shore today!