YRUUP

YRUUP Logo

Young Religious Unitarian Universalists of the Pacific (YRUUP) is a longstanding, youth-run organization designed to provide fun, safe, spiritual programs for youth in the Pacific Western Region. Members are 14–20 years old, not including the adults who support and advise them. YRUUP is governed by a council of youth and adults, who work closely with youth groups, congregations, and various Unitarian Universalist organizations to create engaging and powerful youth programming geared towards community building, spiritual development, social action, and youth empowerment.

Their events help youth develop skills in leadership, community building, event coordination, and public speaking while accepting them into a loving community of their peers. Youth who have been to YRUUP events leave the community with the skills and peer support necessary to succeed and grow going forward in their lives. Conferences are weekend-long events in which youth from all around the region can gather together to bond, discuss issues, and share our faith. YRUUP holds four standard conferences throughout the year. Because they believe strongly in youth empowerment, conferences are youth-planned and youth-led. YRUUP keeps a strict youth-to-adult ratio of 10:1.

WUUKY is a week-long summer camp held in the Mendocino Woodlands campground every year. This event takes the spiritual, leadership, and community development of conferences and transplants it into the beauty of Californian nature. Touchgroups are smaller groups within the camp or conference that all attendees are divided into. These groups meet several times throughout the event to touch base and forge stronger bonds of friendship. Each touchgroup has a youth touchgroup leader, who is joined by an adult advisor.