For Newcomers

Welcome! We're glad you stopped by! Young Religious Unitarian Universalists, or YRUU, is an organization of Unitarian Universalist youth aged 14-20. YRUU is considered a "Sponsored Organization" of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), which is the national association of affiliated UU congregations. YRUU is primarily organized on three levels:

• As youth groups in UU congregations,
• As Youth-Adult Committees or Youth Steering Committees on a District/Regional* level which plan conferences and trainings for youth and youth advisors, and which advocate for youth on a congregational and district/regional level, and
• On a continental level as Youth Council, the governing body of YRUU, and at continental events.

(* UUA districts are geographic areas containing ~40 to ~60 UU congregations. Regions of the Canadian Unitarian Council contain about 10-20 UU congregations. YRUU remains a continental organization serving both the UUA and CUC.)

This website is maintained by the Office of Youth Ministries of the UUA , who are all full-time paid staff who work at the UUA headquarters in Boston. Many resources from the Office of Youth Ministries can be found at the UUA's website, UUA.org.

For Youth Just Getting Involved

If you're a youth just getting involved in YRUU, there are many things here to help you get involved!

• You should definitely check out our News page to read about the latest opportunities to get involved.
• You could read the archives of Synapse, which was YRUU's magazine from 1982-2007.
• You can find out about YRUU programming in your district/region.
• You could read about the Office of Youth Ministries' Chrysalis Training Program, and then see if there are any trainings coming soon in your area.
• If you're into social justice, you can read about the justice work YRUU is doing, and learn about other organizations who do justice work.
• There's also a resource for youth who want to Get Involved With UUism in ways other than through YRUU.
• Or if that's all too much, you could just buy a YRUU T-Shirt!

For Youth Leaders

The YRUU Web Site is the place to rock when it comes to folks who are leaders in youth groups and committees!

• You should check out our News page to read about the latest opportunities to get involved -- download and print any flyers to post in your congregation and to distribute to other youth and advisors.
• We offer resources for YRUU leaders. And we'd love it if you could contribute your own resources for activities, workshops, or worships you've led!
• There are tons of email lists that you can sign up for to connect with other YRUU leaders.
• You could read about the Office of Youth Ministries' Chrysalis Training Program, and if there aren't any trainings coming soon in your area, you can contact the Religious Education Program Consultant in your district or region and ask to help organize one!
• If you're not already familiar with them, you should learn about your district's/region's youth committee, or with the leadership of continental YRUU.
• You'll also want to let your group know about the social justice work YRUU is doing, and learn about other organizations who do justice work.

For Youth Advisors and Religious Educators

There are lots of great things for adults working with youth on our site. You should start by looking at everything in the Youth Leaders section above. Then check out resources we have specifically for adults working with youth:

• Seven Steps to Hiring a Paid Youth Advisor
• Training Planning Guide for hosting a Chrysalis Training
• Planning a Tour of Boston with a Coming-of-Age or youth group?

You should also visit the Leaders' Library of UUA.org, which has many resources available to Youth Advisors, Religious Educators, and other adults who work with youth.

For Geeks!

Hooray for geeks! We wouldn't have this web site without them! And because we're so grateful, there are plenty of things on this site for people who are history buffs and other people who want some of the info archived on this site:

• Every resolution ever passed by Youth Council
• Historical Documents from YRUU and its predecessor Liberal Religious Youth (LRY). Also, minutes from recent Youth Council and Steering Committee meetings!
• Every issue of Synapse ever published, and of the LRY publication People Soup.
• Tons of links to different social justice organizations