This requirement applies only to candidates seeking the Leadership or the Concurrent Advanced/Leadership Level. You can meet it in one of two ways: by writing a paper or by creating a project.

Proposals for the Paper or Project are required as a part of the application to the Leadership Level program and must be approved by the Religious Education Credentialing Committee (RECC) as a part of the application. Proposal forms can be found on the Forms and Resources page; these should be submitted with the application. Contact the Professional Development Programs Manager (PDPM) to discuss options.

The Leadership Level Paper or Leadership Level Project needs to:

• Have the ability to promote and further religious education in congregations, UU communities, and/or by individuals throughout the Association,
• Be able to contribute to the profession of religious education in the UUA,
• Be the individual’s original work (in case of a collaborative effort, the individual’s work must be clearly discernable), and
• Have the capacity to be used in more than one application and more than one setting.

Leadership Level Paper

Write a paper between 1,750 and 2,500 words.

The Leadership Level Paper is intended to add to theory and practice of religious education and/or the professional leadership of religious education. It should explore and expand upon the history, philosophy, theory, theology, and/or practice of religious education in original, creative, new ways by which the field of religious education is enhanced.

While the UUA will keep papers on file, the intellectual property rights remain with the project’s creator. If the RECC would like to make your paper (or a portion thereof) available to the public, it may do so only with your written permission. The RECC may periodically wish to collect and publish or otherwise distribute Leadership Level papers to the religious educator community and the world at large.

Leadership Level Project

Examples of possible projects are:

• collection of children’s worship stories or services
• website content
• book chapters
• curriculum lesson plans
• a manual on a specific issue relating to religious education

Depending on the length and depth of the project, it may not be necessary to complete and submit the total project.

While the UUA will keep projects on file, the intellectual property rights remain with the project’s creator. If the RECC would like to make your project (or a portion thereof) available to the public, it may do so only with your written permission.