First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington, Massachusetts

We hope the children will:

Feel and know they can be themselves, and be accepted as unique people.
Know and feel that they are in a safe place both physically and emotionally, and that it is okay take a risk.
Have both the physical and emotional space to grow and explore.
Practice rituals and routines, and be able to bring them home for family practice.
Feel connected.
Be given opportunities  to practice respect,  and to experience the respect of others.
Have fun, to be playful, and to express their creativity.
Develop long lasting friendships.
Feel love and kindness, and be given opportunities to give kindness and love to others.
Be exposed to positive, caring adults as role models.
Learn social justice activist skills and implement them to improve our community and world.
Learn critical thinking and to be open-minded.
Feel and know that church is their spiritual home.
Participate in a variety of ways in the life of the congregation.
Learn about prayer and worship, and be given opportunities to experience both.

As the children continue their spiritual journeys as young adults, the program will have given them:

A sense of community, a feeling of belonging, and the understanding of membership.
The awareness of shared values.
The knowledge of UU values, and how those values can be put into practice and used in decision making.
To actually own and internalize UU values.
To understand and to continue exploring their spiritual potential.
To use UU values in developing strategies in problem solving and in conflict resolution.
To interact with others in the world with hope and comfort.
A knowledge of UU history, and courageous and interesting UU people.
An appreciation of a variety of religious heritages, and familiarity with holy texts.
The tools to articulate their own spiritual path.
The self confidence, empowerment, and inner resources to be their own person.
The acceptance of their own differences.
The ability to stand up for their values and to apply those values in daily life.