Our Whole Lives (High School) Sexuality curriculum E-mail

Our Whole Lives Offered this Winter
This winter the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara is offering a very important opportunity and class for youth who are 14–17 years of age and in the 9th to 11th grades—Our Whole Lives: Sexuality and Our Faith program. Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a values-based, comprehensive sexuality education curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. There will be a mandatory parent orientation offered in January. If you are interested in your youth participating in this program, contact LeeAnn in the Religious Education office.

Our Whole Lives is a series of sexuality education that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture.

Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.  This program is available to our high school students. 

The Our Whole Lives Values:

Self Worth
Sexual Health
Responsibility
Justice and Inclusivity

Each level of Our Whole Lives offers:

  • up-to-date information and honest, age-appropriate answers to all participants' questions
  • activities to help participants clarify values and improve decision-making skills
  • effective group-building to create a safe and supportive peer group
  • education about sexual abuse, exploitation, and harassment
  • opportunities to critique media messages about gender and sexuality
  • acceptance of diversity
  • encouragement to act for justice
  • parent orientation programs that affirm parents as the primary sexuality educators of their children