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Changing the Culture of UUAA Religious Education. Building Better Kids Building Community. UUAA RE Mission. To create a Children and Youth Religious Education Program that is spiritually meaningful and fulfilling to all involved. Beginning with the End In Mind….
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Changing the Culture ofUUAA Religious Education Building Better Kids Building Community Many hands make light lifting
UUAA RE Mission To create a Children and Youth Religious Education Program that is spiritually meaningful and fulfilling to all involved Many hands make light lifting
Beginning with the End In Mind… • Kids will have a deeper/broader program to develop their spiritual/religious understanding • Kids gain friendships through being together more • Adults gain friendships through more adult interaction with kids of same general age • Adults express their spirituality in action • More dynamic program will attract more folks to UUAA Many hands make light lifting
Barriers to Getting There • Too much work on too few people results in • Teacher burn-out • Less optimal lessons/experiences • Lack of community lack of participation • People don’t plug in either because: • They’re not asked to help • They feel they’ll be dumped on • They don’t feel capable of being a teacher Many hands make light lifting
Let’s Fix It • If EVERYONE has to contribute then • No worry about being dumped on • Many more opportunities to plug-in (events, outings, service projects) that are right up someone’s alley • Far more age-level interaction friendships / community • Provide for more spiritual expression through doing meaningful things for our kids • Dynamic program == continued participation/growth Many hands make light lifting
New Operating Principles • One volunteer per child/youth in the program – Shared responsibility / ownership • Each person takes a major role every 2-3 years and a minor/supporting role all other years • Draw others from non-RE adults and RE youth (e.g., mentoring, special classroom presentations) Many hands make light lifting
Structure CYC Many hands make light lifting
Cluster Coordinators • 4 Hours / Month • Recruits teachers, event coordinators (from RE parents and congregation at large) • Liaises with classroom teachers, council and MRE to assure issues/needs being met • Coordinates scheduling classroom assistants • Consults on curriculum selection Many hands make light lifting
Classroom • Teachers • 4 Hours / Month • 3+ / Class • Teach every 3-4 weeks • Enjoy outings/events (no leadership/work) • Assistants • 1 Hour Every 6 weeks • 1-2 assistants in classroom each week Many hands make light lifting
Cluster Events • 2+ Events / Year / Cluster • Coordinator • ~20 Hours of work • Plan events (FNL, Outside) • Recruit staff from parents • Handle budget • Staff • ~2-5 hours of work • Help execute event (MC/assist, setup tables, clean floor, wash dishes, traffic cop, etc.) Many hands make light lifting
Rover Coordinator / Rovers • Rove 1/Month for ~2 Hrs. • 1 Rover Per Service (9:15-11:00, 11:15-1:00) • Runs errands for classrooms that assistants can’t. Deals with kids who can’t be in the classroom. Assists with outside (onsite) activities/hikes when needed. • Oversees game room from 10:30 to 11:00 and 12:30 to 1:00 and enforces its policies • Fills in for assistants, teachers when unavoidably absent. • Directs new folks to registration and classrooms Many hands make light lifting
Others • COA Coordinators (2) • COA Mentors (15-20+) • YRUU Coordinators • Special Presentations Many hands make light lifting
Assuring Participation • All parents will be communicated to directly when signing up that they must participate in supporting program in some way in order to have their kids in the program. • Signed registration with rules of engagement and ways to contact • Badges for kids (can’t be in classroom without one) Many hands make light lifting
Roll Out • Recruiting for next year starts next month • Programs worked on over the summer • Startup in the fall Many hands make light lifting
In the End… • Kids will have a deeper/broader program to develop their spiritual/religious understanding • Kids gain friendships through being together more • Adults gain friendships through more adult interaction with kids of same general age • Adults express their spirituality in action • More dynamic program will attract more folks to UUAA Many hands make light lifting