Bridges
Youth Program
First UU Church of Detroit
What's Bridges?
Bridges is a new youth leadership program at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit where young people can work together to learn everything from art, community advocacy, and conflict resolution, to public speaking, addressing questions about faith and religion, practical life skills (like driving!), and exploring world cultures and religions.
We meet every weekend and some evenings during the school year for learning and field trips including movie nights, camping, volunteer service and outings to museums, amusement parks, and community events.
The Bridges program was written by Reverend Athena Kolbe, the First UU of Detroit Minister of Faith Development.
What kind of things will we learn about?
Bridges includes seven “areas of learning.” In each area, you’ll do several projects (such as interviewing a community elder, creating a website, making a video or organizing an event). The areas of learning include:
1. Life Skills
We’ll be learning practical skills to help us move into adulthood. You’ll develop hobbies, make friends, learn to get along with people who are different from you, and get a sense of who you are & what you want to do in your life.
Learn more about Life Skills in Bridges
2. Community & Service
This is your chance to make a difference in the larger world through volunteering, finding out about organizations in Detroit, and connecting with others who are committed to making an impact.
Learn more about Community Service in Bridges
3. Social Action
How can we solve problems in our community? We’ll be tackling some tough issues: poverty and hunger, inequality, sexism, human rights, the urban environment, discrimination, racism, and youth rights.
Learn more about Social Action in Bridges
4. Our History & Denomination
The past doesn’t have to be boring. By creating oral histories, traveling to historic sites, and learning about the history of communities and social movements, we have a better sense of who we are and where we came from.
Learn more about Our History & Denomination in Bridges
5. Worship & Personal Faith Development
We have a responsibility to support each other in figuring out what we believe about religion. That can be really hard, especially when adults and friends tell us what we should or shouldn’t believe in. We’ll explore our own faith and the faith of others to try and make sense of it all together.
Learn more about Worship & Personal Faith Development in Bridges
6. Sources of Inspiration
We’ll be learning about faith practices, Scripture, the interdependent web of existence, and the prophetic deeds of women and men that inspire us in our spiritual journeys.
Learn more about UU Sources of Inspiration in Bridges
7. Unitarian Universalist Principles
Bridges is designed especially for Unitarian Universalist youth (although you don’t have to be U.U. to join!). Unitarian Universalism is a creedless religion – that is, we don’t say that you have to believe what someone else believes about God in order to be UU. Instead of being united by a statement of faith, we’re united by seven principles of how we relate to each other and support each other in our own faith journeys. In this area of learning we’ll be tackling the seven principles and how we can apply them in practice.
Some FAQs...
- How old do I have to be?
- You have to be at least 11 years old or in the second half of 5th grade. You can participate (in a group with other kids your age) until you’re 19.
- Is this like school?
- We wish school was this much fun. Yes, we do learn, but we’re learning what we WANT to learn and what is important and interesting to us, not just what our teacher puts on a test.
- Does it cost anything?
- No, but you might have to pay for admission fees if we go on an outing. Youth who participate regularly can have the cost of their field trips covered if they can’t afford to pay.
- Once I do a project, do I get a certificate or something?
- You’ll earn something that’s like a merit badge in the scouts. As you progress, you’ll move up levels and have more opportunities to lead and be recognized.
- How do I find out more?
- Email us at re@1stuu.org or call the office at 313-833-9107.
Additional Resources for the Bridges Program:
Bridges Program Overview (pdf file - opens in new window)
Bridges Program Description (Trifold Brochure -- large pdf file, opens in new window)
Bridges Scope of Learning (detailed program outline)