What does it mean to nurture spirituality in a child’s life? What is spirituality in this context-- any context, for that matter? Aren’t children already so close to the source of life that they are innately spiritual beings? How can we learning from them how to nurture our spirituality? What role can we play as caregivers or parents of children to ensure that these little bundles of light do not lose touch of their innate wisdom and connection to a greater whole? If we are not “human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience,” then how can we help mold children’s human experiences to reflect and encourage their existence as spiritual beings?

       In hopes to discover and share a handful of answers to the questions listed above, in my TED-style talk, I will be discussing the theories and actions of the Unitarian Universalist church in fostering spirituality in young people’s lives. I will be volunteering with and observing the religious education classes at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder (UUCB). At UUCB I will be able to hear the stories of two of the facilitators, Janen and Susy, about their experiences of consciously holding spirituality as an important realm to foster within their work with young people.

       Most of my sources will come from articles published by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), from personal experiences working with children and adults at UUCB, and from my own stories of witnessing childhood spirituality through my own small being or another’s.