Youth Curriculum, 7-19-26

Announcements:

Our Community Harvest Festival is happening on Saturday, September 19, and we’d love for you to help make this celebration a wonderful experience for our wider community!

Volunteer sign-up sheets are now available in the lobby. Whether you have a specific skill to share or you’re simply willing to lend a hand, there’s a place for you. If you’re not sure how you’d like to help, just find a sign-up sheet, check a few areas that interest you, and we’ll help you find the perfect fit.

This year’s festival is shaping up to be something special! We’ll be partnering with Habitat for Humanity, who will be bringing a Pop-Up ReStore, and we’re excited to welcome a special young guest musician as part of our live entertainment.

Together, let’s create a warm, fun, and welcoming event that celebrates our community, the harvest season, and the joy of coming together. Stop by the lobby today and sign up!

July Theme: Whole No Matter What
Week 3 Value: What We Believe About Wholeness
Affirmation: I recognize and honor that I am part of one global family.

Curriculum Overview:

In Week 3, youth and teens discover that wholeness extends beyond ourselves—we are all connected as part of one global family. Like trees in a forest or vegetables in a garden, each of us is unique, yet together we create healthy, thriving communities. This week, participants will experience how kindness, cooperation, and inclusion strengthen the whole and remind us that everyone has something valuable to contribute.

With the summer weather inviting us outdoors, this week’s class will focus on movement, teamwork, and caring for the future through two hands-on activities that demonstrate how even small acts of kindness can make a lasting impact.

Spiritual Lesson:

We all grow stronger when we grow together.

Science of Mind teaches that there is one Life expressing through every person, every living thing, and all of creation. While each of us has our own gifts and experiences, we are never truly separate. Every act of kindness, cooperation, and care strengthens our families, our communities, and our world.

Just as gardens flourish because many different plants grow together, our communities become healthier when everyone is welcomed, valued, and encouraged to contribute their unique gifts.

Spiritual Practice: Gratitude in Nature

Before beginning the activities, youth and teens will gather outside for a brief mindfulness experience. They’ll take a slow walk, noticing the sights, sounds, and life around them while silently repeating the affirmation:

“I recognize and honor that I am part of one global family.”

Participants will be invited to notice one thing in nature that reminds them how everything works together to support life.

Active Listening: Book / Music /Video

Younger Children (Ages 4–7)

• Book: What If We Were All the Same! by C.M. Harris
  A colorful story celebrating differences and showing how diversity makes our world more interesting and beautiful.
• Music: Everyone Belongs by Raffi
  A joyful song celebrating friendship, inclusion, and community.
• Video: We’re All Wonders Read Aloud by R.J. Palacio
  A gentle reminder that every person deserves kindness, respect, and belonging.

Children & Preteens (Ages 7–12)

• Book: Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell
  The true story of how one small act of creativity inspired an entire neighborhood to come together.
• Music: Good Life by OneRepublic
  An upbeat reminder to appreciate life, community, and the opportunities we have to make a positive difference.
• Video: The Power of One (animated short)
  A short film illustrating how one person’s kindness can inspire many others.

Teens (Ages 13–16)

• Reading: Selected excerpt from The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
  Explores how compassion, connection, and serving others create lasting happiness.
• Music: For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound) by The Lumineers
  A modern cover that encourages reflection on our shared humanity and caring for one another.
• Video: The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life (Susan Pinker – TED)
  A fascinating talk exploring how strong relationships and community contribute to health, happiness, and well-being.

Creative Expression Activities: (Outdoor) Around the World Relay & Planting Kindness for the Future

Youth and teens will work together in mixed-age teams as they rotate through fun relay stations inspired by cooperation from around the world. Rather than racing against one another, teams earn points by encouraging teammates, solving challenges together, and ensuring everyone participates.

Possible relay stations include:

Australian Animal Walk – Move like native Australian animals while encouraging teammates.

Japanese Balance Challenge – Carry an object together using teamwork and communication.

Brazilian Soccer Pass – Complete a group passing challenge where every teammate must participate.

Kenyan Water Relay – Safely transport water together, demonstrating cooperation and shared responsibility.

Canadian Canoe Run – Teams move in sync while carrying a lightweight “canoe” around an obstacle course.

After each station, teams receive a stamp in their “Global Passport” representing a different part of the world. The relay reinforces that although people live in different places and cultures, kindness, teamwork, and belonging are universal.

To conclude class, each participant will plant a vegetable or herb seedling (or work together to plant a classroom garden bed). As they plant, they’ll reflect on how caring for something today creates nourishment and beauty for tomorrow.

Participants will write their name on a plant marker along with one act of kindness they hope will continue to grow in their lives.

Together, we’ll discuss how gardens and communities both thrive when people care for them consistently, reminding us that even small acts today can bless someone in the future.

Connecting: Growing Together Circle

Youth and teens will gather around the newly planted garden and complete the sentence:

“One seed of kindness I will plant this week is…”

Group Response:

“Together we help our world grow.”