July 18-20, 2025
1pm Friday – 3:30pm Sunday
Trainers Judith Galas and Eric Morrow
Click here to register or read more below

We’re excited to be offering training for facilitators of the teen curriculum of Our Whole Lives (OWL) this summer!

From the UUA website:

Honest, accurate information about sexuality changes lives. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision making, and has the potential to save lives. For these reasons and more, we are proud to offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curricula for use in both secular settings and faith communities.

Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, sexual health and behavior. With a holistic approach (PDF), Our Whole Lives provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality.

Here in Manhattan, we have OWL classes for various age groups scheduled in alternating years. These classes last multiple weeks and are led by 2-3 trained facilitators. The next class in our rotation should be for the teen age group — but we need more facilitators. Could you be one of them?

While facilitators often have to travel for training, this summer we are bringing trainers to Manhattan! The training begins Friday early afternoon, goes all day Saturday, and concludes midday Sunday. We’ll share Friday dinner and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Participants bring their own copies of the curricula (second editions of both 7-9th and 10-12th grade); other materials and snacks are provided. Participants must also complete 3.5 hours of pre-training assignments at least 4 days prior to the training.

Anyone is welcome to complete the registration form for the training. The registration fee is $400, which covers snacks, meals, and materials and offsets the costs of our trainers’ travel and honoraria. If this imposes a barrier, please fill out the form anyway and we can talk about alternatives. (Be sure to think ahead about how you will procure the curricula, too.) If you are traveling from a distance, we would like to help you find home hospitality. Let us know in the form!

We have an established partnership with UUFM, True Colors, First Congregational UCC, and Manhattan Mennonite Church and are actively recruiting participants from these organizations. If you’re from one of these groups, talk with staff to see if your fee will be waived or covered by them, and if they have curricula you can borrow.

You’ll be receiving an email with follow-up steps. Filling out the registration form isn’t a guarantee for your attendance; we will confirm with you after we receive your information.

Please fill out the registration form here. The priority deadline is June 9th. The final deadline is July 1. Registration fees must be received by July 1.

More information about the program can be found at https://www.uua.org/re/owl