COA: Coming of Age
(9th Grade, October - June)

Program Components

The UUCDC Coming of Age program consists of four components:

• Mentored Learning
• Practical Testing
• Enacted Ritual
• Empowering Story and Community Celebration

Mentored Learning

The youth's mentor will be a well-respected member or friend of the UUCDC faith community who will work with the youth to accomplish the goals of the program. The individual will bring to the youth a perspective on the congregation, a connection to its past, a sense of pride and commitment to that community and its young people, an understanding of the culture and history of the church society and how one best functions within its parameters.

The mentor will:

• encourage the learning and conquering of physical skills designed to bolster self-confidence;
• aide in the selection of a community service project to help the youth see the needs of the larger community (as appropriate the mentor may participate in the project with the youth);
• assist the youth in exploring their own spiritual development by unselfishly sharing their (the mentor's) own thoughts and ideas;
• enjoy the natural world together using it as a classroom, meditation sanctuary, recreational facility, and/or background for group experiences.

Practical Testing

The UUCDC Coming of Age program will engage youth in activities that push them beyond their normal comfort level by asking them to stretch their boundaries. These stretching activities will be both value-centered experiences and physical challenges, which take place in a safe and supportive environment. These activities may include a river-rafting trip, values clarification workshop, team building & individual ropes challenges, day hike, solo vigil, and credo writing.

The youth will participate in the creation of a group covenant addressing participation, challenge by choice, positive language, physical and emotional safety, plus issues suggest by the youths to aide in the creation of a safe, caring, supportive community. They will accept the responsibility of maintaining that covenant throughout the duration of the program.

Built into the program will be times for reflection on those things learned, challenges met and pride in accomplishment of "the impossible".

Enacted Rituals

Rituals mark life transitions: child dedications, faith-community recognition of youth (bar/bas mitzvahs, confirmations, Coming of Age ceremonies), graduations, weddings, and memorial services. The UUCDC Coming of Age program will draw on ancient and modern traditions; the ritual will be generated by the COA community of leaders, mentors and elders and will be intergenerational in nature.

Empowering Story and Community Celebration

During the Rite of Passage Weekend, the leaders, mentors and program elders, acting as a Council of Elders, will hear the youth's vigil stories and receive them into community. The youth will symbolically mark these changes during the Rite of Passage Weekend through symbolic naming, marking, and presentation (return) to their parents.

Additionally, the youths will participate in, and be recognized by the entire congregation as part of a Sunday morning Affirmation Worship Service. UUCDC will celebrate the completion of the youths' participation in the Coming of Age program through worship, story sharing, symbolic gift giving, a congregational reception and an evening party for the youth. This celebration will include all the generations of the church society, ensuring that traditions are created for the younger generation to hope for when they become of age.

Finally, the Congregation will recognize that the youth has become of age by offering all the rights, privileges and obligations of membership in UUCDC.

Program Details

UUCDC'S Coming of Age Program that UUCDC and other interested community youth may choose to participate in. The program is open to 9th grade youth and designed to be completed in one church year.

Program Specifics/Requirements:

• Exploration of UU History, Traditions, & Organization, as well as traditions of other Rites of Passage & Coming of Age programs.
• Complete an Individual Community Service Project and write a Personal Credo Statement.
• Meet a minimum of 6 times during the year with their mentor who will facilitate reflective discussions around new learning and experiences and life in general.
• Attend Sunday morning Coming of Age classes regularly and participate in scheduled activities to include:
Once-per-month Sunday Fund-raisers for Boston Trip
Sunday COA Movie Nights and discussions
Mentor-Mentee meetings, monthly
• Attend the following retreats/events:
The Wizard of Oz Retreat
The Mentorship Matchmaking Mixer & Mentorship Pizza Dinner
The UU Dinner Party
The Murray Grove Mentorship Retreat
The Credos Lock-In
The Boston Heritage Trip
The Rite of Passage Weekend in the Poconos
Coming of Age Affirmation Worship Service & Celebrations