Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive science and values-based sexuality education program created by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in collaboration with the United Church of Christ (UCC).
The program is called Our Whole Lives because we are sexual beings our whole lives. There are many different levels of OWL, from the littlest kids learning about bodies, families, and safety to elders learning about sexuality in the later part of life.
The First Parish in Bedford program for youth in grades 8–9 uses the 7th–9th grade OWL curriculum, which is designed for youth to explore topics such as anatomy, consent, dating, safer sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more. OWL runs every other year at First Parish and is led by facilitators specifically trained for the program. It is designed to be inclusive and supportive of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Though OWL is a values-based program with references to Unitarian Universalism, it is not intended to be a religious program.
In the November 15, 2024, edition of her parenting podcast, psychotherapist Lynn Lyons identified OWL as an excellent program for teaching kids about healthy and safe sexual relationships. Listen here to the first of two episodes where Lyons and social sexuality expert Cindy Pierce discuss how important conversations about sex and programs like OWL are for a lifetime of emotional and sexual health.
If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about the OWL program, please reach out to Rev. Annie Gonzalez at ministerfaithdev@uubedford.org.
The OWL program at First Parish in Bedford runs every other year and will next run during the 2026–2027 church year.