Our Whole Lives (OWL) was developed by a collaborative effort between the Unitarian Universalist Association and United Church of Christ to offer a comprehensive sexuality education for people of all ages, and QUUF has offered it since 1999. Classes are held every year or every other year, depending on our population.

Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education
Our Whole Lives is a lifespan sexuality education curricula for seven age groups: grades K-1, grades 4-6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12, young adults (ages 18-35), adults, and older adults. Here at QUUF we offer the OWL at the following ages:

• 1st grade
• 5th and 6th grade
• 8th and 9th grade

Widely regarded as the Gold Standard for comprehensive sexuality education, Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior.
Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives provides accurate, age- appropriate factual information while also helping participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

Our Whole Lives uses approaches that work. The curricula are based on the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education produced by the National Guidelines Task Force, a group of leading health, education, and sexuality professionals assembled by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). Our Whole Lives Offers:

• 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

Our Whole Lives Values…
While Our Whole Lives is secular, it is not value-free. The program gives clear messages about the following key sexuality issues:

• self worth
• sexual health
• responsibility
• justice and inclusivity

Our Whole Lives recognizes and respects the diversity of participants with respect to biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status. The activities and language used throughout the program have been carefully chosen to be as inclusive as possible of this human diversity.

What’s Religious about Sexuality Education?
In liberal religious sexuality education, we seek to provide roots and wings for program participants. The roots are our Unitarian Universalist religious traditions and values, which accept participants and value them for who they are so they feel good about themselves and their sexuality. The wings are the freedom they have to make meaning of their own lives; the opportunity to clarify their own values and apply them to their own experiences; and the strength to develop into their own true, best selves.
The Our Whole Lives curricula help transform a cultural climate of fear and confusion into a new reality of lives lived congruent with the values of the inherent worth and dignity of each and every person.

Our Whole Lives is religious because it seeks to nurture:

• religious community
• spiritual depth
• prophetic vision and action for justice
• values congruent with participants’ religious beliefs and the skills, attitudes, and knowledge to live out those values
• the worth and dignity of every participant

1st Grade OWL

5th/6th Grade OWL

8th/9th grade OWL

Registration Policy for OWL Classes

OWL is a program designed for QUUF families. However, we understand that it is also valuable to the larger community. Children who are not active in QUUF’s religious education classes are absolutely welcome- please contact Beau Ohlgren, Director of Family Ministry, as soon as you know you are interested to ensure we can make space for you!

If you are interested in teaching sexuality education, contact Beau Ohlgren– we are always looking for quality volunteers, and we will train you!

This page last updated July 26, 2022