Each UUA youth program creates and maintains community norms, which can be expressed in a covenant, expressing the goals of the community and how the community will be together.​

Program leaders can create a covenant as part of a program, or create a covenant ahead of time that participants agree to before joining. If creating ahead of time, consider a covenant check-in time where participants can suggest changes/additions.

Sample Covenant

• Be welcoming and inclusive

• Respect each other’s identities including pronouns

• Let all voices be heard – take space / make space

• Honor an individual’s right to say “no” or pass

• Bring openness, creativity, and flexibility

• Deeply listen to each other’s sharing and keep each other’s sharing confidential

• Adult leaders will expand confidentiality if youth share about doing/considering harm to self or others

• Check with leaders before sharing personal material that could be hard for others and check for community consent before sharing

• Respect each others’ personal boundaries including choices not to share contact information or not to be in contact outside online meeting space.

• Prioritize our own and others’ emotional well-being

• Support one another in love, respect, and care

• Strive for accessible language and avoid harmful statements

• Be willing to hear how our language and actions have impacted others

• Prioritize self care, take breaks as needed

• Get curious, not furious…when times get rough, turn to wonder

• Reach out if you have any difficulties with technology or otherwise

• Respect the way the event organizers have set up the technology and the facilitation of the event

Technology Covenant

In addition, consider creating a Technology Covenant which participants agree to before the event, including the following:

• Responsibility to ensure only appropriate images are visible on their camera including that all people are clothed (top and bottom)

• Not sharing access links with people who aren’t registered

• Signing in on an account that uses the name they registered with so they can be admitted from the waiting room