OWL Proposal

Proposal to Fund OWL (Our Whole Lives) Program

Date: 6 October 2025

Overview

Purpose

This proposal requests support from the UUFH Board to fund an upcoming OWL (Our Whole

Lives) class.

About OWL

OWL is a comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education program developed

by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and the United Church of Christ (UCC).

It aligns deeply with UU values, promoting self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, and justice.

UUFH has a history of affirming inclusive, values-based education, and OWL provides a critical

service to youth and families in our congregation and community. Offering this class would

support our mission to foster informed, respectful, and ethical decision-making in the area of

human sexuality.

Program Scope

The proposed class will serve youth in grades 7-9 over a structured 10-week course. Sessions

will be facilitated by a rotating 4 person team of trained OWL facilitators and supported by an

administrative coordinator to ensure communication, logistics, and documentation run smoothly.

Classes will meet weekly for approximately 90 minutes, with setup and debrief time bringing

total staff hours to 3 hours per week per facilitator. Administrative support is estimated at 4

hours per week.

Justification for Funding

1. Mission Alignment – OWL reflects UU principles of dignity, equity, and the responsible

search for truth. It provides education that is often unavailable elsewhere.

2. Community Demand – Interest among UUFH families for meaningful and inclusive

sexuality education is growing, especially in a climate where such education is

increasingly politicized or unavailable.

3. Staffing Need – To ensure the integrity and professionalism of the OWL program, we

require compensation for trained facilitators and reliable admin support. Volunteer labor

alone is not sustainable.

4. Sustainable Practice – Funding this initial offering creates a replicable model that can be

scheduled annually or semi-annually, potentially with sliding scale contributions from

families in the future.

5. Offering OWL tends to lead to a greater number of Family Ministry participants and UUFH members in general.

OWL Guidelines for Staff - 2 Facilitators Each Week, 1 Administrator to Coordinate

2 Facilitators a week working 3 hours each week for $20/hr for 10 Weeks ($1200)

1 Administrator working 4 hours each week for $21/hr for 10 weeks ($840)

Total = $2,040

Request

We respectfully request that the UUFH Board approve a total of $2,040 in funding to cover

staffing expenses for the OWL class. This would allow UUFH to offer the program at a cost of

$50 to participants, removing financial barriers and upholding our values of accessibility and

equity. The $50 from participants will be used to provide supplies and snacks for each of the workshops and for the retreat this year and allow OWL to offer scholarships next year. If there’s any money left over, funds can be put towards training future OWL facilitators. We are happy to provide additional details, scheduling information, or a sample curriculum upon request.

Thank you for your consideration.

Submitted by:

Family Ministry Council