First Parish in Cohasset will offer the Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education course for grades 7–9 in the 2023-2024 school year on Sundays from 5-8 p.m.
The course will run from January 21, 2024, through May 5, 2024, with several weeks off (see schedule next page). There will be a total of 12 sessions. The class will eat dinner together in the middle of each session. We will ask parents of teen participants to supply dinner at least once during the class.
This course is part of a lifespan sexuality education program developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association. It has received acclaim from both parents and teen participants alike, and conforms to national SIECUS standards for comprehensive sexuality education.
The OWL program is a values-based sexuality education program that embodies UU values, including the dignity of the individual, the importance of personal responsibility, and the essential interdependence of all people. Teens tell us that OWL feels safer and is more informative than the mandatory sexuality education offered in the schools. Learn more about the OWL program.
Group size will be limited to 12. If we have more teens than openings in the class, priority will be given to 9th graders and then to 8th graders; to those whose parents attend the orientation; and to those teens who are already affiliated with First Parish or another UU congregation.
Our adult OWL leaders have been chosen for the range of experience and skills they bring to the subject matter. Adult OWL leaders for this class:
Mark Alves, trained and experienced OWL leader
Rev. Dan Harper, trained and experienced OWL leader
Lisa Dunne, R.N.
Holly Harris, retired lawyer
Parents who decide to enroll their youth in the program must attend a mandatory Parent Orientation Meeting on January 7, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. with Rev. Dan Harper and members of the OWL teaching team. The meeting will be held using Zoom. We will explain the program goals, review the curriculum schedule, and collect signed parental consent forms. All custodial parents should attend this orientation. All custodial parents must sign the consent form. At this meeting, we will decide whether or not to show the visuals. If the consensus is to show the visuals, we will schedule a second parent meeting to do a full review of the visuals.
If you have questions about the OWL program, please contact the First Parish office.
