Our Whole Lives (OWL) is the Unitarian Universalist Association’s world-class, comprehensive curriculum on bodies, relationships, and healthy identity. You can read more about the program here: OWL Overview
We are excited to welcome your family, whether or not you are a member of First Parish!
Attendance:
Because the workshops build on one another and this material really only opens up in a small, trusted group, we ask for a genuine commitment to attend every session, including the mandatory parent orientation. If you already know of a date you or your child will need to miss, please email kmilano@firstparishinbrookline.org ASAP. The schedule for each class can be found below.
Cost:
OWL is an excellent program that costs about $100 per child to run well, due to the cost of supplies and facilitator training. To offset our costs, we ask that families who are not members of FPB consider a donation of around $100, which can be made at this link: https://firstparishinbrookline.org/giving/give-online/. Of course, cost should never be a barrier to participation.
OWL and Unitarian Universalism (UU):
We are hosting Our Whole Lives in a faith setting and using the UU version of the curriculum, Sexuality and Our Faith.
UU beliefs are diverse and inclusive. We have no shared creed. Our faith is expressed through the shared values of interdependence, pluralism, justice, transformation, generosity, and equity – all centered around love. We find wisdom in each person’s direct spiritual experience, and we draw on sacred, secular, and scientific understandings to guide us.
Religious elements in the course:
- We light a chalice – a candle, the symbol of our faith – at the beginning of class, and extinguish it at the end of class. Here is more information about the history and symbolism of the chalice: https://www.uua.org/beliefs/who-we-are/chalice
- We will create a class covenant, meaning a set of shared promises between us. For example, we will be good listeners, we will respect one another, etc.
- We will talk about how the material of the class relates to our UU values. For example: every kind of family is a real family (pluralism); every person’s body belongs to them and deserves respect (equity); and we take care of each other (interdependence).
Some things we will not do:
- We will not ask your child to pray, to profess a belief, or to say anything about God.
- When children mention what their own family believes, facilitators will receive it warmly and will not correct it, rank it, or compare religions.
Elementary OWL
Ages 5-8 | 8 Sessions
Meets: Sun 11:15am-12:30pm
Runs: Sep-Dec 2026
Across eight fun, age-appropriate sessions, kids will explore topics like their bodies, gender, personal boundaries and safety, all kinds of families, and where babies come from.
OWL helps build a foundation: self-worth, body safety, respect for others, and the vocabulary to ask questions and set boundaries. It’s evidence-informed, grounded in our faith’s commitment to every person’s inherent worth, and designed with abuse-prevention in mind.
You can read more about the curriculum here: Elementary OWL Curriculum Overview
Any child aged 5-8 and in grades K-2 is welcome to join.
Registration is now closed to families outside FPB. If your child already attends First Parish, and you still need to register, please contact kmilano@firstparishinbrookline.org.
Facilitator Information
K. Milano (they/them) is the Religious Exploration Coordinator at FPB, and is also a trained 7-9 OWL facilitator. Before becoming a religious educator, they worked in special education, and have classroom experience with kids from elementary through high school. They spend all week looking forward to Sunday mornings and the chance to make memories with the kids at FPB!
Emily Hedrick (she/her) is trained elementary OWL facilitator, a hospital chaplain, and a candidate for Unitarian Universalist ministry; she served as a Mennonite pastor before finding her way to UUism. Her work centers on trauma-informed care — helping people build practical skills for handling stress. She looks forward to creating a safe, loving environment for learning while teaching OWL at FPB.
| Date & Time | Event |
| 9/13, 12pm-2pm | Mandatory Parent and Child Orientation |
| 10/4, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: Our Wonderful Bodies |
| 10/18, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: Bodies and Gender |
| 10/25, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: Body Boundaries |
| 11/8, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: Families |
| 11/15, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: How Babies Begin |
| 12/6, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: Pregnancy and Birth |
| 12/13, 11:15am-12:30pm | OWL Class: Babies |
| 12/20, 12pm-1pm | OWL Class: Celebration |
OWL for Grades 7-9
Grades 7-9 | 23 Sessions
Meets: Thursday from 5-7pm
Runs: Dec 2026 – June 2027
Over 23 sessions across the program year, youth will explore anatomy and puberty, gender identity and sexual orientation, consent and healthy relationships, body image and media messages, sexual health and decision-making, and how to communicate clearly about all of it.
OWL gives youth accurate information and the skills to use it: clarifying their own values, recognizing what a healthy relationship feels like, understanding consent as something ongoing and mutual, and practicing the words for boundaries and hard conversations. It’s comprehensive and medically accurate, grounded in our faith’s commitment to every person’s inherent worth, and built around a group covenant of confidentiality and respect so youth can ask real questions and get honest answers.
You can read more about the curriculum here: 7-9 OWL Curriculum Overview
Facilitator Information
- K. Milano (they/them) is the Religious Exploration Coordinator at FPB, and is also a trained K-1 OWL facilitator. Before becoming a religious educator, they worked in special education, and have classroom experience with kids from elementary through high school. They spend all week looking forward to Sundays and the chance to make memories with the kids at FPB!
- Kiara Zani (she/her) is a member of FPB’s Religious Exploration Committee, and has been teaching OWL for over five years. Kiara holds a Masters of Education, and outside of FPB, teaches Music and Drama for grades PreK-8. Kiara also runs FPB’s Youth Choir and plans our annual Christmas Pageant.
- Audrey McGlothlen (they/them) previously worked as a Special Educator for disabled and high-needs children at Ivy Street School, before transitioning into school administration. Now that teaching is no longer their day job, they have made it their hobby! In addition to providing quality sexuality education at FPB, they also love teaching at the New England Aquarium, where they volunteer at the sea lion exhibit.
- Juan Martinez (he/him) brings a parent’s perspective as the father of a current K-1 OWL student. He is excited to be joining our team this year!
7-9 OWL Schedule
| Date & Time | Event |
| TDB | Mandatory Parent Orientation |
| 12/3/26 | OWL Class: What is Sexuality? |
| 12/10/26 | OWL Class: Examining Values |
| 12/17/26 | OWL Class: The Language of Sexuality |
| 1/7/27 | OWL Class: Anatomy and Physiology |
| 1/14/27 | OWL Class: Puberty and Body Image |
| 1/21/27 | OWL Class: Gender Identity |
| 1/28/27 | OWL Class: Gender Expression, Roles, and Stereotypes |
| 2/4/27 | OWL Class: Sexual Orientation and Guest Panel |
| 2/11/27 | OWL Class: Sexuality and Disability |
| 2/25/27 | OWL Class: Healthy Relationships and Relationship Skills |
| 3/4/27 | OWL Class: Sexuality, Social Media, and the Internet |
| 3/11/27 | OWL Class: Bullying and Bystander Response |
| 3/18/27 | OWL Class: Redefining Abstinence and Masturbation |
| 3/25/27 | OWL Class: Lovemaking |
| 4/1/27 | OWL Class: Consent Education |
| 4/8/27 | OWL Class: Pornography |
| 4/15/27 | OWL Class: Sexually Transmitted Infections |
| 5/6/27 | OWL Class: Pregnancy, Parenting, and Teenage Parenthood |
| 5/13/27 | OWL Class: Unintended Pregnancy Options |
| 5/20/27 | OWL Class: Contraception and Safer Sex |
| 5/27/27 | OWL Class: Sexual Decision Making |
| 6/3/27 | OWL Class: Communicating with a Sexual Partner and Self-Care |
| 6/10/27 | OWL Class: Celebration and Closure |