Our Whole Lives - Program Leaders

Program Leaders

Our Whole Lives classes are led by teams of facilitators recruited from within their congregations. Before leading Our Whole Lives, facilitators must complete a training program led by certified trainers of trainers. Training is intensive and focused on building the facilitation skills demanded by Our Whole Lives. In addition to exploring the core values and pedagogical theory underlying Our Whole Lives, trainings include opportunities to peer-facilitate a session, giving future leaders hands-on experience. At the end of the training (which is approximately 20 hours of training over three days), facilitators must be certified by their trainers before leading Our Whole Lives in their congregations.

Facilitators for Our Whole Lives work in teams of at least two - one male and one female - for each class. The gender balance allows participants to feel comfortable raising concerns, questions and issues with their trainers. For the middle school (grades 7-9) curriculum, some activities are done in gender segregated groups, otherwise all activities take place in mixed gender groups. Leaders for Our Whole Lives are expected to model the program values - treating participants with respect and honoring their moral agency.

In Unitarian Universalist congregations the grades 7–9 OWL curriculum replaced the somewhat controversial About Your Sexuality, which went out of print in the 1990s.