Parents Open House for OWL Program

Wednesday, October 5, 7 – 8 p.m., OPALCO Conference Room

— from Suzanne Olson —

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.

“OWL opened my mind up. I am more conscious of how other people feel and I am more comfortable around people different than me.” –Henry Miller 2014

The OWL programs are designed to help participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, OWL not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the emotional and social aspects of sexuality.

Funded in part by the Orcas Island Community Foundation, The OWL Program will be taught by certified OWL Instructors Sandi Burt, MSW, Suzanne Olson, Berto Gandara, Serena Berman and RJ Myers, as well as many guest speakers from our island community.

The middle-school program is 27-sessions, held on Sunday evenings from 7-9pm in Eastsound beginning October 23rd. The program includes three overnight retreats at Camp Orkila and closes on March 12th. The high-school class will meet for 12 sessions beginning in January and includes two overnight retreats. There are no classes on school holiday weekends.

“I remember looking forward to Saturdays and the OWL sleepovers at Orkila. The activities planned were sometimes fun and silly, and sometimes serious, but I always felt like I was safe and I really could talk about anything I wanted. I had a great time with OWL!!” –Arla Sutton 2014

Each class is open to 5 girls and 5 boys. Enrollment is by application, available by contacting Suzanne Olson (storysmith8@gmail.com) or at the Parent Open House on Wed, October 5th 7:00pm at the OPALCO conference room. Any interested families should attend the open house event.

The Our Whole Lives curricula includes age-appropriate courses for kindergarteners through adult and were developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association in the early 1970s and then updated in the 1990s in collaboration with the United Christ Church. The 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.

For more information, contact Suzanne (storysmith8@gmail.com) and check out www.uua.org/re/owl/.