Chapter 5: Programming for Specific Ages
There is no best way to decide the age range for a successful conference. One district may plan separate junior-high, senior-high, and post-high conferences to avoid unwieldy numbers if all ages meet at once. Another district may merge ages to attract a critical mass of young people. A cluster may merge seventh to twelfth grades because many youth are accustomed to meeting in these ranges in their fellowships. Another congregation may open its conference only to senior-high people, to focus on a specific aspect of the LIFT (Leadership Institute for Tomorrow) curriculum.Your district may have guidelines about the appropriate ages to attend conferences. Respect such guidelines when you plan your conference. Some districts provide conferences on a regular basis for different age groups for example: two junior-high conferences, two senior-high and one large mixed.
This chapter includes some information essential to making the age-range decision and for planning your conference accordingly. It includes key considerations about scheduling, behavior guidelines, leadership concerns, thematic possibilities, and adult advisor involvement for planning five types of conferences:
- Junior high or middle school only (ages 11-14)
- Senior high school (ages 14-18)
- Junior-senior high hybrid (approximately ages 12-18)
- Post-high school (ages 18-20 or 20+)
- Senior/post-high hybrid (approximately ages 14-20)
Keep in mind that each group has its own life, values, norms, and desires. Respect for the uniqueness of each person, congregation, and YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalist) group is essential to our Unitarian Universalist heritage.
Junior High/Middle School Conference (Ages 11-14)
Senior High Conference (Ages 14-18)
Junior/Senior High Hybrid Conference (Ages 12-18)
Post-High School Conference (Ages 18-20 or 20+)
Senior/Post-High Hybrid Conference (Ages 14-20 or 14-22)
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
