Leadership Schools for Unitarian Universalists

Some districts and regions offer workshops for presidents and other volunteer positions, either online or in person. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) District Staff is experienced in working with congregations of all sizes and has lots of ideas to share. Others have information or archived workshops on their websites. Find out what’s available by contacting your own District Staff.

Pacific West Region

• The Mountain Desert District offers the finest means to Affirm, Deepen, Nurture, and Build effective leadership within your congregation—the Russell Lockwood Leadership School! One inspiring week communing with fellow adult Unitarian Universalists (UUs) of all ages from around the west exploring the history, values, policies, inspirations and complexities of the Unitarian Universalist liberal religious tradition. One week engaging a wide scope of materials focused on nourishing whatís meaningful for an individual being a UU while equipping an individual with skills to be a contributor to both the local and global communities.

Southland Region

• The Dwight Brown Leadership Experience (DBLE) is a challenging, exciting, leadership development experience that will enrich the life of the participants, as well as enhance the sponsoring Unitarian Universalist congregation. Named after the District Executive who helped launch our first Leadership School, DBLE is designed to teach and reinforce skills and abilities for leaders and leaders-to-be in UU congregations. DBLE is offered as a Leadership School each summer as a 6-day, intensive program by the Southwestern UU Conference.
   
• The Southern Unitarian Universalist Leadership Experience offers participants an opportunity to combine practical leadership tools with spiritual and theological grounding to maximize their congregational leadership potential.

MidAmerica Region

• MidWest Leadership School (MWLS), held concurrently with MidWest Youth Leadership School, develops lay leaders in the UU community. The week-long intense program includes leadership, group and system dynamics, UU history and theology, and elements of worship. The program is designed to provide insights, confidence, and enrichment for each participant’s congregation, work, and personal life. MWLS is sponsored by the Central MidWest District, in collaboration with Heartland District and Prairie Star District.

Central East Region

• Unitarian Universalist Leadership Training Institute: Leadership School of the Central East Regional Group of the UUA.
   
• Ohio Meadville Summer Institute: Our vision is UU community built with a sense of belonging and acceptance that gathers, learns from each other, worships together, and is inspired. A summer week retreat is organized within the Ohio-Meadville District to accomplish this vision. Summer Institute is family-friendly with programming for adults, young adults, youth and children.

New England Region

• The mission of the North East Leadership School (NELS) is to provide training in religious stewardship for the benefit of our Unitarian Universalist congregations and the larger community. We model and create a risk taking, energizing journey of individual growth within a mutually empowering community.
   
• UU Youth and Young Adults of Color Multicultural Leadership School (MLS) is a training designed specifically for UU Youth and Young Adults (age 15-30) of Color sponsored by the UUA in Boston, MA. The goal of the training is to equip participants to be leaders in their UU congregation, district or continental committee.

Workshops & Webinars Available Online

• The Midwest UU Leadership Combined Media Site is dedicated to the video presentations from their webinars and a calendar for upcoming events.
   
• The Online Training Center for the Central East Regional Group has a good listing of their webinars and other offerings. They do require a sign in and registration to access their material, but there are no costs involved.
   
• Some UUA General Assembly workshops are recorded, and streaming video is available on UUA.org.
   
• Six tracks of widely different UU University programming are available on DVD.

Curriculum

• Many Unitarian Universalists experience a deepening commitment to their faith and congregation as a call to accept a position of leadership—as a lay worship leader, a leader of children or youth or a member of a task force, committee or governing board. Harvest the Power: Developing Lay Leadership provides leadership skill development that goes hand-in-hand with faith development.