UNIVERSITY UNITARIAN CHURCH

High School

(9th-12th Grade)

During the summer, regular programs and events for teens in 9th-12th grade take a pause. On Sundays, teens are invited to attend the service with their parents. Parents of high school-age teens are encouraged to subscribe to the Youth Ministry Newsletter, to stay up to date on special events that may happen throughout the summer! Read below for more information about what is typically offered for 9th-12th Graders during the regular church year (September - June).

Our Whole Lives for 8th & 9th Grade:

Sunday evenings, 4:00 - 7:30 pm

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive sexuality education program designed to help participants gain the knowledge, values and skills to lead sexually healthy, responsible lives. In this OWL class, youth explore many topics, such as anatomy and physiology, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, dating, pregnancy, contraception, and sexual decision making. OWL for 8th-9th Graders is offered every other year at UUC. It will next be offered during the 2027-2028 program year.

Coming of Age (9th-10th Grade):

Registration to join the  2026-2027 COA Cohort will open in the fall.

Coming of Age (COA) is a rite of passage experience where participants explore their personal and spiritual beliefs.  At the beginning of the year, Coming of Age teens are paired with an adult mentor from the congregation, who offers a sense of guidance and perspective. Together, mentors and mentees explore questions about god, identity, life after death, good and evil, justice-making, and personal purpose. The class works together on a service project and creates a worship service. Coming of Age culminates in a solo vigil and the development of a faith statement, which teens share with the congregation during a special service in May.

Youth Group (9th-12th Grade):

Youth Group meets one Sunday morning per month at 11:15 a.m. in the Servetus Room and plans a weekend Youth Meet Up once per month.

Community is vital to our youth and UUC is committed to providing high schoolers with opportunities to build strong connections with each other here at UUC and at other UU churches in the region. We know that many youth want to catch up on sleep on Sunday mornings and we get that. The life of a high schooler is full. That being said, the welcoming community that UU youth culture offers to teens is unique and vital to those who come to know it. UUC's and regional UU youth programming offers a portal into the UU youth universe, a third place with a deep history that seeks to provide high schoolers a safe place that isn't home and isn't school but somewhere where they can just take a breath, be themselves and explore the person they are becoming. To meet the slightly sporadic community needs of youth, we meet twice a month and we would love for you to join us.


What can you expect at a UUC Youth gathering?

Sunday Morning Youth Group provides a connection point for high schoolers. Join us for a check in and small group discussions that may include spiritual practices, playing games or crafting, faith development or event planning.


Youth Meet Ups vary in nature depending on the offering. Past events include movie nights, game nights, talent/no talent shows and bonfires to which other regional UU youth are invited, our annual gingerbread making event, and service field trips.

All of our events:

  • Seek to create a safe space where teens can explore their values and beliefs; 
  • Emphasize fun, connection, creative projects, social action, and leadership;
  • Include opportunities for discussion, self-expression, faith development and spiritual practices;
  • Will likely involve food!
  • Youth Group also plans one worship service each year. 


Join us! Learn about upcoming youth group events and activities by signing up for the  Youth Programs Newsletter.

All Ages Sundays

We believe worship is an important part of community and faith development. Once a month, usually on the 3rd Sunday of the month, our entire church community gathers for a meaningful, vibrant, and engaging multi-age worship service. These services often include stories, embodied spiritual practice and ritual, and easy-to-sing music.

Combined Ages Sundays

Several times a year, children and teens gather to celebrate a seasonal UU ritual, holiday or annual event together. Dates for these combined-ages celebrations in the 2026-2027 church year are still to be determined.

Faith In Action Events (K-12 Family Service Events)

Faith in Action events occur quarterly and invite UUC community members of all ages to gather for meaningful service and community-building. Past events include Green Seattle Partnership work parties spreading mulch and planting pollinator-friendly plants along the Burke Gilman Trail, marching in the annual MLK, Jr. Day March and putting together personal care kits to give to our Tent City 3 (TC3) neighbors.

Serve the UUC Community

Teens at UUC are encouraged to get involved in their church community in a variety of ways:

  • Help with childcare at church on Sunday mornings and/or at other events requiring childcare. Youth can earn volunteer service hours for school or get paid! Teens need to have some knowledge of the UU faith and practices before volunteering in classrooms.
  • Serve on a church committee or team. Be a greeter, bake snacks for Sunday morning coffee hours, or serve as an A/V Tech during services. 
  • Serve the larger community packing lunches or serving dinner for homeless teens, families or adults with the Homelessness Ministries Team. 


Contact Director of Family Ministry, Aria Curtis, or contact a team directly to learn more about these opportunities.

PNW UU Youth Cons

Youth Cons:

Dates for 2026-2027 Youth Cons are still to be determined

UU congregations in the Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest actively work together to plan and foster UU youth connections and leadership development opportunities throughout the region. Youth Cons are weekend-long gatherings of UU high school students from many churches in the Pacific Northwest area. During a con, teens meet new people, play games, be silly, have good food, learn new things from each other in workshops, maybe participate in a talent (or no-talent) show, have a candlelit worship at night where they can connect on a deeper level with new friends, often stay up super late (though you don’t have to), and generally create a temporary “UUtopian” society! Regional youth leadership trainings and other youth gatherings may also be scheduled throughout the year. 

UU Summer Camps

UU Summer Camps offer the opportunity to be both a camper and a camp counselor. Middle and high school youth get the opportunity to connect with other UU youth from UUC and from around the Pacific Northwest each summer at:


As campers, these engaging experiences provide fun, adventure, friendship, identity formation, leadership development, faith formation and the opportunity to try out different spiritual practices each summer. As camp counselors, youth build meaningful connections with UUC children and youth, gain leadership skills, and the opportunity to earn a stipend or service hours.