Geneva Unitarian Church's Sunday school open to all area youth

All area children and youth in grades K-12 are invited to attend religious education classes offered by the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 102 S. Second St.

The 2023-24 school year begins Sunday, Sept. 10, and ends in May, 2024.

The church's curriculum highlights values such as equity, interdependence and benevolence.

"Our curriculum is focused on exploration, not indoctrination," said Becky Hruby, director of religious education for children and youth. "Understanding and applying knowledge gained from studying values and many of the world's religious traditions helps kids grow into thoughtful, caring adults while making sound life decisions along the journey.

"We empower our youth with knowledge and skills to be confident in speaking up for what is right, to identify racism and injustice, embrace diversity and equality - and simply be a good person in our complicated world," Hruby said.

Grouped by grades - kindergarten to second grade, third to fifth grade, sixth to eighth grade (middle school), and ninth to 12th grade (high school) - classes are offered during the same time as the church's regular worship, at 10 a.m. Sundays.

Students are welcome to attend a few sessions upfront to see if the program is right for them without committing to the entire school year.

"We offer a variety of innovative programs that are unique in the community," Hruby said. "For example, Our Whole Lives (OWL) is an age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education program designed to empower our youth with practical, no-nonsense facts while encouraging related conversations at home. The goal is to get families talking, and to keep them talking along a lifelong road of learning and growth. Another amazing opportunity open to our high school youth is spending a week in Minnesota during the summer building a home for Habitat for Humanity."

Membership in the church is not required for children to attend classes. Interested parents can arrange for a tour of the church and classrooms and a meeting with teachers by sending an email to dre@uusg.org.

More information about the church and its religious education programs is available at www.uusg.org.

Founded in 1842, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva is the oldest church in town, part of a centuries-old liberal religious tradition that values reason and free thought over dogma and creed.

Led by the Rev. Scot Hull, it is a unique religious voice in the community, offering worship services and religious education programs that draw on diverse spiritual traditions, as well as outreach initiatives that advance social justice causes locally and around the world.