Greetings from the Director of Religious Exploration

Spring is here and Summer is near!
I can not believe we are in our very last month of RE for the 2025-2026 church year!
This year has been full of laughs and learning and it would not have been possible without the help of our beloved volunteers. The culture of RE is changing in some BIG and BEAUTIFUL ways and I want YOU to be a part of it! This Summer we need 4 volunteers to rotate in a one room school-house style room. This class would be open for any children who attend during the summer for unstructured play time. Volunteers are encouraged to use art materials and toys in the RE classrooms to support creative play.

We are recruiting new volunteers to be in our classrooms for the 2026-2027 church year. Our new RE structure gives all volunteers more flexibility. If youre new to Unitarian Universalism, volunteering is a great way to deepen your understanding of our UU values! Volunteer Sign Up 2026-2027
~With love, Madeline

We offer Religious Exploration programming for children and youth three Sundays a month. School age children start in the sanctuary at 10:30 am and will be taken to the RE classrooms around 10:45 am. On Sundays that do not have RE programming, we hold an interactive multigenerational service in the sanctuary starting at 10:30 am.

The nursery is open Sundays from 10 am-12 pm for children ages 0 -4 (upstairs in the Parish House).

May Classroom Sundays
This month the elementary aged children will explore our monthly theme “Awakening Curiosity” through stories, activities, crafts, and games.
Middle School will continue to explore their Unitarian Universalist Values through the lens of other faith traditions using the “Crossing Paths” Curriculum.
Youth who are in High School are encouraged to join the weekly services or volunteer in RE. They are welcome to facilitate games and crafts for the elementary kids or play in the nursery with our babies and toddlers.
Please register your children below for the 2025-2026 Religious Exploration program before their first visit.

Religious Exploration Schedule for May

Class runs from 10:45-11:45 am. School aged children are invited to start in the Sanctuary.
May 3 – Creative Sunday
May 10 – Classroom Sunday
May 17 – Multigenerational Service
May 24 – Classroom Sunday
May 31 – Creative Sunday

May Religious Exploration Events

Kaleidoscope Collective, a Multigenerational Book Club
Let us come together in a multigeneration space to explore Marjane Satrapi’s Graphic Memoir “Persepolis, The Story of a Childhood.” Marjane’s memoir depicts her coming of age in Iran during the 1979 Islamic revolution. Email Madeline (DRE@uuithaca.org) to reserve your book!

• May 10th, 12 – 1 pm in the Arch Room. Meet the group and get your copy of “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi
• May 17th, 12 -1 pm in the Arch Room. Mid-book check in
• May 24th, 12:30 – 2:30 pm. Final book discussion followed by snacks & 2007 Film

Music for Little People
Wednesdays, May 13 and May 27th
12:30 – 1:15 pm in the Arch Room
Share in the joy of music in this class which is free and open to the public. Children 0-5 and their caregivers are welcome to meet us in the Arch Room each month. Sing, play, dance, explore instruments, and connect through music