The Unitarian Society of New Haven provides an inspiring and engaging Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE) program for preschool through high school aged children. Classes and events focus on age-appropriate exploration and expression of oneself, the world and its faith traditions, and Unitarian Universalism.
Our religious education curricula follow an alternating year cycle, since most classes are multi-age. In year “A” classes focus on Unitarian Universalist identity, history and values. In year “B” we explore the sources of Unitarian Universalism, including our Jewish-Christian heritage and other “neighboring faiths”, as well as the important role of science, nature, humanist perspectives and mystery in our own distinctly Unitarian Universalist faith development. 2024-2025 is an “A” year.
Click here to enroll a young person in RE classes for 2024-2025.
2024-2025 Children’s Religious Education Class Descriptions
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Children’s Chapel
One Sunday each month, children in grades Pre-K through 6 gather in person for shared children’s worship. The goal of these chapels is for young people to learn and enjoy the process and elements of worship through sharing joys and concerns, meditative readings, exploration of the eight UU principles and the six sources from which our faith draws inspiration, and occasional guest speakers on social justice topics. We welcome whole families to join in!
PreK-1st Grade: Wonderful Home
Wonderful Home was compiled from the UUA Tapestry of Faith (web-based) curricula Creating Home and Wonderful Welcome with selected lessons from Around the Church around the Year and Chalice Children to emphasize the learning of UU values, traditions and history in Grade K-1. Wonderful Home relies on the structure of Creating Home to provide the framework for all sessions, which explore both the physical structure and sacred community of USNH. The Goal of the curriculum is to acclimate children to this place as their spiritual home.
Sing to the Power affirms our Unitarian Universalist heritage of confronting “powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love.” Participants experience their own power, and understand how it can help them to be leaders.
Building Bridges is a world religions program to deepen youth’s understanding of the dynamic, fascinating, and varied world in which they live. It seeks to broaden their knowledge of humanity and embolden their spiritual search. Youth will visit faith communities in Greater New Haven county and discuss what they observe in each place in order to deepen their own Unitarian Universalist faith journey. The year will culminate with a UU heritage trip to Boston where each youth will write a CREDO statement about their current set of beliefs, values and spiritual orientations.
More than just Sunday School
We also offer a variety of age-specific and multi-generational social events, social justice projects, and worship opportunities for both our congregation and the public. Be sure to sign up for the USNH newsletter and check the Religious Education Schedule to hear about these and other events and opportunities!