Our Whole Lives (OWL) Lifespan Sexuality Education:
Note, the current Middle School OWL 2025 course (Mar 2025-Dec 2025) is full and not accepting new members. Read on for more information about Our Whole Lives.
“Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education” refers to a comprehensive sexuality education program created jointly by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ (two liberal religious denominations). To read more about and celebrate the twenty-five years of the O.W.L. Program, visit this page from the UUA.
As the name suggests, Our Whole Lives has curricula for the different life stages, developmental levels, and contexts that participants experience. The workshops do not just focus on physiology/anatomy & contraception– rather they explore the connection between sexuality and topics like relationships, communications, media messages, consent, and justice.
At First Parish Arlington, we offer the Middle School OWL curriculum annually for students, starting in the spring of their 7th grade year. Every other year, we offer the High School OWL curriculum to our high school juniors and seniors. Our facilitators (oftentimes volunteers members of our community) are extensively trained by sexuality educators through the UUA to promote a healthy, responsible, and inclusive learning environment for all students. If you would like to be trained as an OWL facilitator, contact our Minister of Religious Education, Rev. Stevie.
We currently do not offer Early Elementary, Older Elementary, Young Adult, Adult, or Older Adult OWL. This is based on current volunteer facilitator capacity and interest. If you are interested in First Parish offering units for younger participants or for adults, please inform Rev. Stevie.
Sign up for Grade 7-8 OWL at First Parish, Starting March 2026!
Is your child already a part of the Religious Education Program at First Parish? Please be in touch with Rev. Stevie (Minister of Religious Education) for the registration link and copy of the calendar.
Is your child coming from outside First Parish? First Parish has been partnering with Kahal B’raira (a Humanist Jewish Congregation in Cambridge) to offer OWL. Additionally, sometimes community members with some connection to First Parish also join the cohort: a friend of a current member of the RE program, or a UU middle schooler from a nearby congregation where OWL is not offered. In both cases, please be in touch with Rev. Stevie. In the latter case, this is done in consultation with the teen’s home congregation.
First Parish assesses a $75 registration fee for Middle School OWL, to cover material expenses and to help offset the cost of training future facilitators.