Honest, accurate information about sexuality changes lives. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision making, and has the potential to save lives. For these reasons and more, we are proud to offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curricula.

AUUF offers the following OWL classes on a rotating schedule  (Note-the OWL curriculum is designed to be experienced in-person and is currently on -hold due to Covid-19 related gathering restrictions. We look forward to resuming these offerings as soon as we are able):

• grades K-1
• grades 4-6
• grades 7-9
• grades 10-12

Please check the RE Calendar Page for more information about our scheduled OWL classes. Contact Julie Meadows (auufdre@gmail.com) to enroll your child.

More About OWL

Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. OWL‘s holistic approach provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality. It offers:

• Accurate information presented in developmentally appropriate ways
• Affective and emotional learning
• Guiding values and principles
• Activities that help participants clarify values and improve decision-making skills
• A safe and supportive peer group
• Acceptance of diversity
• A social justice approach to inclusive sexuality education
• Parent orientation that affirms parents as their children’s primary sexuality educators

OWL covers topics and skills that both parents and students want to have available but schools are less likely to cover. National surveys show that most parents, along with educators and students themselves, would expand sex education courses and curriculum. Our Whole Lives is an excellent way to accomplish that goal.

While Our Whole Lives is secular, it is not value-free. The program gives clear messages about the following key sexuality issues:

• self worth
• sexual health
• responsibility
• justice and inclusivity

Our Whole Lives recognizes and respects the diversity of participants with respect to biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status. The activities and language used throughout the program have been carefully chosen to be as inclusive as possible of this human diversity.

Our Whole Lives curricula are based on the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (PDF) produced by the National Guidelines Task Force, a group of leading health, education, and sexuality professionals assembled by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). In every category of assessment, the curriculum meets or exceeds the National Standards for Sexuality Education Core Curriculum, K-12.

If you are interested in learning more about OWL, please contact Matt Aspin (mre@auuf.org).