We have 9 girls and 1 boy registered for Our Whole Lives. Should we try to get more boys enrolled?
It is not uncommon in a church school for a particular age group to have a gender imbalance. Our Whole Lives is designed as a coeducational program to convey the message that people can and should be able to discuss sexuality openly across genders. Such discussions give youth practice for a lifetime of healthy communication. The curricula include discussions and activities for same gender groups, however if you have a large majority of either males or females, separate gender groups can be problematic. And if there is only one participant of a certain gender, he/she could feel uncomfortable being there at all.A way to address this would be to invite participation by friends of existing participants, or other young people in the community, to round out the group. Be aware that full parent orientation and permission is necessary for parents of all participants, regardless of whether parents are members of the congregation. Combining your program with that of another Unitarian Universalist congregation is another option. If none of these options are viable, it comes down to the choice of the individual participant and his/her parent(s). Some youth are comfortable being the only participant of their gender in the group. Be sure one of the co-leaders is the same gender as the lone participant, and that no one expects that participant to speak for their entire gender.
Last updated on Monday, June 4, 2007.
