Children, Youth and Families
Children, Youth and Families
Welcome to the 2025-2026 RE Year!
For details on our Sunday schedule and to receive our weekly newsletter, please email our Director of Religious Education, Amy Pabon, at amy.pabon.re.director@uuclb.org.
We’re so glad you’re joining us on this exploration of faith and community.
We look forward to sharing this journey with you!
Our Vision for Religious Education
Our program goal focuses on welcoming, bonding and creating a supportive church environment in the spirit of our UUCLB Religious Education Committee Mission Statement:
- Inspire & nurture all children, youth, and families of our community in the search for personal truths,
- Empower their actions and beliefs and
- Foster respect for themselves and others as well as the world around them, through religious learning, spiritual practices, and growth.
Explore Our Programs
Children attend their RE groups immediately after being checked in. K–12 youth regularly begin in the sanctuary for Time for All Ages and are then released to their classes. All groups are led by trained RE facilitators and volunteers. Parents/guardians check children in and out at their assigned rooms.
Infants-Age 5
Rooms 2-3
Play-based childcare is available for infants through age 5. Our dedicated space is designed to provide a safe and engaging environment where young children can explore, play, and learn. With a variety of age-appropriate toys, interactive activities, and nurturing staff, we ensure that each child has a positive and stimulating experience. From sensory activities and imaginative play to story time and crafts, the Rainbow Room supports early development and fosters a love of learning in a warm, welcoming setting.:
Grades K–8
K–3rd Grade: Room 5, Occasionally Chalice A & B
4th–8th Grade: Youth Room (Room 4), Occasionally Chalice A & B
Curriculum Focus
This year, our RE program for K–8 is guided by the Soul Matters monthly themes. These ten themes reflect core Unitarian Universalist values such as Belonging, Love, Generosity, Justice, Transformation, and more. Through stories, experiential learning, mindfulness, games, crafts, and group discussions, children explore how these values challenge, comfort, and inspire us to live our faith in the world.
Using the ten monthly themes from the Soul Matters curriculum, we explore how these values can challenge and comfort us, guide our choices, and inspire us—individually and together—to build a more loving and just world.
Soul Matters Themes
September: Building Belonging
October: Cultivating Compassion
November: Nurturing Gratitude
December: Choosing Hope
January: Practicing Resistance
February: Embodying Resilience
March: Paying Attention
April: Embracing Possibility
May: Awakening Curiosity
June: Flourishing Together
Faith in Action
Meets outside or in the Lounge
On second Sundays at 10 am (with a few exceptions), K-12 children and youth engage in social justice-focused projects. These activities might include assembling hygiene kits, preparing snack sacks for our unhoused neighbors, or other hands-on projects aimed at making a positive impact in our community.
High School Youth
High schoolers come together at UUCLB for fun, fellowship, and values-based community building. Activities include service projects, outings, creative projects, and shared meals—designed around youth interests and Unitarian Universalist principles. Teens interested in volunteering with younger children on Sundays are encouraged to contact the DRE via email at dre@uuclb.org.
OWL – Our Whole Lives – Sexuality Education
We are pleased to be providing OWL programs for grades K-2 and grades 4-6. We hope to offer grades 7-8 and/ or 9-12 in the 26-27 year. Find out more about all grades of OWL online at https://www.uua.org/re/owl. Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Grades K-2is an eight-workshop curriculum that helps children ages five through eight begin the lifelong process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and values about identity, relationships, safety and health. Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Grades 3-6 is a ten-workshop curriculum designed to help children ages nine through twelve to gain the knowledge, life principles, and skills they need to understand and express their sexuality in holistic, life-enhancing ways. Workshops are offered by trained facilitators with a parent education component.
Director of Religious Education- Amy Pabon
Passionate about education, social justice, and community empowerment, Amy Pabon brings over 6 years of diverse experience in teaching, tutoring, and mentoring. With a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and currently pursuing a master’s in the same field, she has developed a strong foundation in program coordination, curriculum development, and community engagement.
Amy is excited about the opportunity to coordinate the Religious Education program at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach and is eager to inspire personal exploration and empower children and youth to make a difference in their community. Driven by a commitment to lifelong learning and growth, she is eager to embark on this new chapter and contribute meaningfully to the community.
Religious Education Assistant: Rachel Olivas
Rachel brings a background in behavioral therapy and currently works as a substitute teacher. She’s calm, caring, and great at helping kids feel comfortable and supported.
Nursery Caregiver- Eliza Ramirez
During the Sunday service, infants through age 5 are invited to the Rainbow Room, a play-based space supported by dedicated nursery caregivers. Welcome to our Nursery Caregiver Eliza Ramirez.
JOB OPENING: NURSERY CAREGIVER
The Religious Education Committee (RE Committee)
The RE Committee meets monthly to help plan the weekly program curriculum, holidays, and special celebrations. Please email recommittee@uuclb.org to share ideas, questions, or concerns about the program.