Youth Groups

Junior Youth (grades 7 and 8)

Curriculum: 

• Our Whole Lives (OWL): This year, Jr. High-aged youth participate in OWL, the Unitarian Universalist sexuality education program. This curriculum is offered on Friday evenings by four trained volunteers from the congregation.

• Sunday Classes:  The Junior Youth in grades seven and eight experience a Sunday class each week that explores World Religions, LIe Issues, Unitarian Universalist, Social Justice and our Judeo-Christian Heritage themes on a rotating basis. Our Junior Youth also attend intergenerational worship and holiday services.

Senior Youth (grades 9 – 12)

The Sr. Youth are affectionately called, “da Yootes.”  

“da Yootes” meet most weeks following the Sunday worship service, from 12:30 PM – 2;30  PM, for Youth Group. Fun and hard work are at the core of this active group.   Through worship services and group meetings, junior high and senior high school aged youth engage in a balanced YRUU Program (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) which promotes:

• Worship
• Youth-Adult Relations
• Community Building
• Social Justice
• Learning
• Leadership
  

Some previous activities include:

• Fall and Spring "lock ins"
• Alternative Holiday Fair
• Youth-led Worship Services
• Home-building mission trip to Juarez, Mexico
• Parents' Night Out fundraisers
• Jr. and Sr. Youth Retreat

Social Action

As part of the faith development of youth, the Melrose UU Church helps facilitate a WorkCamp or Mission Trip activity approximately every other year. This group has participated in two previous trips to Juarez, Mexico.  In these trips, the youth witnessed first hand what it meant to be born into privilege and what it meant to be born into poverty. With the experienced assistance of staff from Casas por Cristos, participants built a house for a family in need in four days. The youth group participated in this level of social action in 2004 and 2006. Plans are being made for a similar trip in 2007.