2024–2025 RE programs
UUCCN's RE program offers children's Sunday school classes, a Youth Group, and Adult RE classes. Children's classes are held on Sundays at 11 am (during Sunday Service). All programs are led by RE Teacher Vida Landron (pictured here).
You do not need to be a UUCCN member to enroll in the RE classes or Youth Group.
OUR PROGRAMS
Children's RE Classes
Weekly Sunday morning classes for younger grade-school children. This year's curriculum encourages students to strengthen, love, and create their identity, and will involve stories, art projects, special guests, celebrations, and more. The first class is Sunday, September 10.
Youth Group
Monthly (sometimes twice-monthly) gatherings for middle/high school students, focusing on spiritual growth, service projects, and events with other UU Youth Groups. Stay tuned for the Youth events calendar.
Adult Classes
Monthly classes after Sunday service (12:30 pm); topics and dates TBA. Stay tuned for registration info.
ISLAND-WIDE CLASSES & EVENTS
UUCCN is a member of the Long Island Area Council of UU Congregations (LIAC), which offers wonderful programs and events throughout the year and across Long Island. Those who participate in these programs will be joined by students from several other Long Island UU congregations.
- Junior High Our Whole Lives (OWL) - Autumn 2023
This fall, LIAC will host a Unitarian Universalism Our Whole Lives (OWL) program for students in grades 7 through 9 (Sundays, 1:30 pm to 6 pm, locations TBA). The OWL program is a sexuality education curriculum that provides honest, accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive sexuality education that promotes healthy relationships, informed decision-making, and sexual health. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, and has the potential to save lives. - Coming of Age (COA) - Winter/Spring 2024
The purpose of the Coming of Age program is to acquaint students in grades 7 to 9 with an understanding of Unitarian Universalism and invite them to explore their developing religious philosophies, discuss adolescent issues, and foster open communication among students and between students and their families. The program includes an optional trip to Boston, home of the UUA headquarters. - Student Activity Fund (SAF) Student Internship Program
SAF is a LIAC-sponsored grant program that enables high school seniors and college students from Long Island UU congregations to perform significant service to the community while earning money to help finance their education. The next grant application period begins May 2024. - Sophia Fahs Summer Camp
LIAC hosts a weeklong camp in August that is also open to non-UUs. In 2023, it took place at Camp Getaway, CT.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
RE Teacher Vida Landron joined the UUCCN staff in December 2022 as the Youth Group teacher for the SNUCC-UUCCN RE program. She brings years of experience teaching children and youth of all ages, including from her current job at the Children’s Cultural Center of Native America and as an art teacher at LeRoy Neiman Art Center, both in Harlem.
Erol Delos Santos is a Masters of Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary. He was the 2022-23 Intern minister at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, under the guidance of Rev. Dr. Natalie Feminore, lead minister and minister of lifespan religious education. He currently serves as a membership coordinator at The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester as well as the executive lead of The Distillery: A Unitarian Universalist Preaching Conference. He is a long-time member at his sponsoring congregation, the Fourth Universalist Society in NY City.
She currently has private mentorship students, is a community activist, and oversees elderly outreach programming for her non-for-profit organization Nitchen Inc. (Nitchen translates to “our children” in the Lenni Lenape language). Through this organization, she also conducts art therapy programming that reconstructs the way in which public, private, and charter schools within the tri-state area teach North American indigenous history.
Erol's background is in healthcare administration. He holds a joint Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare informatics with The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now Rutgers) and Thomas Edison State College. He received a Masters of Science from Rutgers, the State University for Clinical Trials Research with a concentration in regulatory affairs.
Areli Castillo Velasquez (They/Them) is a descendent of the Nawat or Nahua Pipil people of El Salvador. They have taught in community spaces like the Garden by the Bay in Edgemere, Rockaway, DOE Schools and have produced educational content in behalf of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. As of now they're currently enrolled in Teachers College, Columbia University in their Anthropology and Education program, investigating the question of decolonizing informal or formal education in Urban Spaces.
UUCCN Religious Education Committee
Rev. Petra Thombs, UUCCN Minister, Lisa Donigian, Robin Rivera, Phyllis Ross, Anna Lea Smith
