We invite families and youth to join an exciting journey of questioning, searching, challenging, and wondering about the meaning of life with all its mysteries, great and small. UUSM hosts in-person programs that foster the personal and spiritual development of children and youth ages 0-18, as well as multigenerational programs that unite all ages in one community. We explore wisdom from diverse spiritual traditions, scientific insights on our world, and the history, myths, and traditions of many cultures, all structured around our Unitarian Universalist values of love, justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity. We strive to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ people of all ages and to make learning accessible to kids of all different abilities and learning styles.
Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Young children are always welcome to accompany their parents at our Sunday service, or they can spend the time in the nursery, located in the Cottage next door to the sanctuary. (First-time families should provide medical and emergency contact information through this form.) Infants and toddlers in the care of our screened and trained volunteers will spend the time playing together, singing songs, reading stories, and having fun!
K-8th Grade RE
Elementary-aged kids and Middle School youth begin their time with us on Sunday in the service, where they may sit with their family or hang out in the Kids Corner at the front of the sanctuary, which is stocked with books and art supplies. After the Time for All Ages, when a teacher shares a story with the kids in the sanctuary, we head out for our Religious Education classes in the Cottage. (First-time families are welcome to have an adult accompany their child if that is helpful for them.)
In the Cottage, we split up into “Beginners” (K-3rd grade) and “Middle Grades” (4th-8th grade) to explore our values through curriculum designed for the needs of our younger and older kids. Beginners use Spirit Play, an inclusive Montessori-based curriculum that explores stories from all over the world through games, movement, and art. Middle Grades use RE in Action, a curriculum that explores our rich UU history and values, and challenges young people to put what they learn into practice through hands-on service projects.
We all share a snack in the Cottage, so please provide any allergy or medical information, as well as emergency contact information, through this form. Parents/guardians sign their kids out of RE after the conclusion of the service.
Youth RE (9th-12th Grade)
Youth Religious Education is currently on summer break, but stay tuned for announcements about our fall programming for students in grades 9-12!
Past offerings have included Building Bridges, our hands-on interfaith curriculum, Coming of Age, our culmination program for teens that guides them in self-articulating their spiritual and moral beliefs, and Our Whole Live (OWL), our comprehensive sexuality education program that provides accurate, age-appropriate information about topics like development, gender identity, healthy relationships, consent, and safety.
Multigenerational Programming (All Ages)
At UUSM, our community includes all ages and stages of life, so there are lots of opportunities to connect across the generations. You can join us for Game Night on the first Tuesday of each month, attend a Multigenerational Service where kid-friendly forms of spiritual practice help all ages to access the child within, or come as a family to our fun and witchy Samhain celebration in October! Check out what’s coming up soon on our churchwide calendar, or contact Director of Multigenerational Religious Education Jessica TenHave-Place at dmre@uusm.org to be added to the Children & Youth Religious Education weekly email update.
Safety Protocols
Our number one priority in Children & Youth Religious Education is the safety of the young people in our care. All staff and volunteers who work with children go through background checks and receive proper training on our child safety policies. Minors are always supervised by at least two unrelated adults, both in person and online. Please feel free to contact Jessica TenHave-Place, Director of Multigenerational Religious Education, at dmre@uusm.org to receive full information about our child safety policies and learn more about our best practices for ensuring that everyone in our care is both physically and emotionally safe at UUSM.
Camp de Benneville Pines
Every summer, UU youth from across the Southwest flock to Camp de Benneville Pines, a rustic mountain paradise two hours east of Santa Monica in the San Bernardino Mountains below Big Bear. One-week sleep-away camps include family, elementary, junior high, and senior high as well as counselor-in-training opportunities. Scholarships are often available – stay tuned for more info about upcoming UUSM trips to Camp De Benneville Pines, and learn more about camp here.
CYRE News
To keep up with the latest on Children & Youth Religious Education at UUSM, visit the News page, or contact DMRE Jessica TenHave-Place at dmre@uusm.org to be added to the CYRE weekly email update.
Visit uusm.org/connect for the latest
CYRE program descriptions.
