Welcome to TUUC’s Religious Education Program

TUUC is a dynamic, engaged community that strives to meet the needs of our congregation no matter their age. We offer nursery care and three volunteer run classrooms: K–5, Middle School, and High School. Each is taught with age-appropriate curricula that encourage critical thinking, a worldview based on kindness and respect, and plenty of play.

Our program is inclusive of all the beautiful varieties of humanity. Please contact the Director of Religious Education (DRE) to discuss any special needs or concerns at tuucdre@towsonuuc.org or (410) 825-6045 ext 4.

Why do families choose Towson Unitarian Universalist Church?

  • "Fostering a community where all children know each other, feel safe, and look out for each other.”

  • “Supporting children and youth to find their own spiritual path.”

  • “Sense of a beloved UU community.”

  • “Special events that include the entire congregation.”

  • “Food, especially cheese.”

To help the Youth Religious Education Committee (YREC) plan classes and other events, please write to tuucdre@towsonuuc.org.

TUUC Student Registration for 2023-2024 | Nursery Care, YRE Registration, and Family Co-Op Form

TUUC RE Basics

  • Nursery care is available during service with two nursery workers present. 

  • Students must be registered to attend RE classes. (Please print and return this form to register.)

  • Classes for Kindergarten through 12th grade are offered most Sundays. Families worship together for the first 15 minutes in the meeting room. Afterward, children join their teachers and are sung out to their classrooms downstairs. 

  • Throughout the year, we offer occasional services that are inclusive of all ages. During these services, children worship with their families upstairs for the entire service. 

  • Children, teachers, parents, and staff create and present at least one service each year. These services are announced in our newsletter.

  • We engage in social justice work at every age level, including fundraising, learning, and outreach. 

Cooperative Model

After having attended TUUC for six months, all parents are asked to volunteer in a way that best suits their skills. Ideally, we have teaching teams of 3–4 adults for each classroom; training and curricula are provided. TUUC has safety policies, and background checks are required of all volunteers to ensure the safety of children, teens, and adults. Questions? Please contact the DRE at tuucdre@towsonuuc.org or (410) 825-6045 ext 4.

Nursery

Nursery care is provided during service for children under age 5. We hope to maintain a space that the children identify as safe and fun, and which allows parents to focus on the week’s service. All children need to be checked in by a parent/adult and have a registration form filled out so that the nursery staff has basic safety information and can contact you should the need arise. We have experienced, paid providers, occasionally assisted by teens and/or members of the congregation. Questions? Please contact the DRE at tuucdre@towsonuuc.org or (410) 825-6045 ext 4.

Religious Education Approach

The Religious Education Team strives to provide a current, interesting, and educational curriculum that will engage the students and encourage them to contemplate the topics discussed in and beyond the classroom. 

With a focus on relationships and mindfulness, classrooms are child-centered, with the expectation that all students and volunteers will conduct themselves with respect for each other and for the space.

Curricula for each year are chosen carefully to make sure our children learn the eight principles and six sources that are the foundation of Unitarian Universalism.

Elementary Ages Classes

Most classes use online curricula provided by the Unitarian Universalist Association. These are carefully planned to be age-appropriate and engage all the ways that children learn, including stories, art, games, drama, music, and ritual. 

Middle School Classes

Middle School Students are encouraged to dive deep into their own questions and feelings about faith and community. The Coming of Age program (see below) is usually conducted during this time. This year, we are studying world religions, exploring the roles of different beliefs in the past and present in order to better understand our own faith, Unitarian Universalism, and how it relates to other traditions.

High School Group

The high school youth group, Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU), works with advisors to craft their own discussions and service opportunities. They design and present a worship service to the congregation in late winter and work on various projects throughout the year. 

This year the Teen Group is doing the Coming of Age curriculum that they missed in Middle School due to the COVID–19 pandemic. See information below.

Special Programs

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education

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, a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curriculum designed for secular and faith communities.

TUUC is proud to have offered OWL classes for middle schoolers for more than 10 years. We now offer early elementary OWL (1st/2nd grade) and late elementary OWL (5th/6th grade). These will be repeated in alternate years. When appropriate, 8th/9th graders are invited to participate in Middle School OWL. 

OWL teachers must successfully complete a rigorous, weekend-long training. Parents are required to attend an orientation session so that they are fully informed about what is covered at each age level.

For more information, see: https://www.uua.org/re/owl

Coming of Age

TUUC offers a Coming of Age program to all 7th and 8th graders. This special program, designed to mark the transition from childhood to youth, is focused on guiding our youth during their spiritual development. Coming of Age is offered in alternate years and is a powerful experience for youth that requires active participation and parental involvement.

During Coming of Age, the class will go on a weekend retreat, participate in activities beyond Sunday morning discussions, relate them to UU values, participate in a service project, explore the "big questions" in life, write faith statements, play games, build community, and laugh a lot! The program will end with a final celebration and community recognition.

Please use the link for Nursery Care, YRE Registration, and Family Co-Op Registrations