Religious Education Credentialing Application, Forms and Resources

Please refer to the Religious Education (RE) Credentialing Program Plan for a program overview and details.

Please start by completing a Candidate Inquiry & Intake Form.

If you have any questions or concerns as you navigate the credentialing process, please contact Professional Development Programs Manager at recredentialing@uua.org.

Applying to the Religious Education Credentialing Program

If there is an impediment to your meeting any of these requirements, the RECC's Equivalencies Committee is available to consider all exceptions.

Complete the following and submit to recassistant@uua.org (note: all application materials should be received within three weeks in order for application to proceed):

  1. Application Form Please not that the three levels are not sequential; you can start with Skilled level OR Advanced level.
  2. Endorsement Form Ask two people to complete an Endorsement Form, one of whom should be your supervisor; request a waiver if your supervisor is unavailable.
  3. Criminal Offense Disclosure Form (Word) (PDF, 2 pages)
  4. Current resume
  5. Statement of Readiness and Aspirations, a two-to-three page personal statement that includes:
    • what has brought you to this point in your professional career
    • a summary of your work, life, and academic experiences, and how you believe they have prepared you for your work in the RE Credentialing Program
    • why you wish to pursue recognition in the UUA Religious Education Credentialing Program
    • how you feel positioned for success in the RE Credentialing Program (e.g., adequate time and resources)
    • your aspirations as a religious education professional
  6. Leadership Level and Concurrent Level Candidates Only: Proposal for either the Leadership Level Project or Paper

Semi-Annual Mentor/Candidate Status Checks

Completing these forms on a semi-annual basis offers mentors and candidates the chance to assess their relationship: to affirm that it is a helpful, productive one; to bring to light any concerns about progress or about the mentoring relationship; and to consider whether a change of mentor may be in the best interest of the candidate.

Both the mentor and the candidate are to complete the following forms each year of a candidate's course in the program, due on February 1st:

Winter Mentor/Candidate Status Check - MENTOR Form

Winter Mentor/Candidate Status Check - CANDIDATE Form

The candidate is to complete the following form each year of their program, due August 1st. Once completed, the Professional Development Program Manager submits the information to the candidate's mentor for review and confirmation.

Summer Candidate Status Check

Completing the Religious Education Credentialing Program

Scheduling an Interview with the RE Credentialing Committee (RECC):

  • Submit the RECC Interview request form no later than ten months prior to the preferred interview date (but no more than one year in advance). One sample portfolio competency must be submitted when requesting an interview; email these to the Professional Development Programs Manager. Two more are due to the Professional Development Programs Manager by September 1 in order to remain on the interview list.
  • Meeting dates and locations can be found on the RECC webpages.

Materials required for completing the program:

All candidates must submit the following to recassistant@uua.org (refer to the Program Plan for more detail):

  1. Portfolio – to demonstrate how you’ve applied your knowledge and skills in each of the competency areas. A sample portfolio can be found in the Resources section below. DUE FEB 1st
  2. (Leadership level only) Project or Paper DUE FEB 1st
  3. RE Credentialing Information Cover Sheet (Word) (PDF, 1 page) DUE MARCH 1st
  4. Self-Assessment of Competencies (Word) (PDF, 2 pages) DUE MARCH 1st
  5. List of required Learning Experiences DUE MARCH 1st
  6. Recommendation Form Note: this form is for candidates who are nearing completion of the RE Credentialing Program. Please see the Program Plan for details about appropriate recommenders. If you are a new applicant, be sure to use the Endorsement Form in the section above. DUE MARCH 1st
  7. Photo DUE MARCH 1st
  8. Updated resume DUE MARCH 1st
  9. Resource list with Responses DUE MARCH 1st
  10. Reflective Essays DUE MARCH 1st
  11. Criminal Background check DUE MARCH 1st

Resources

  1. RECP Resource List 2022 (Word) (PDF) (for those who started 2022 or later) or RECP Resource List 2019 (Excel) (for those who started the program before 2022).

    Please note: the 2022 Resource List does not include Technology Lens resources. You will demonstrate your Technology knowledge through your portfolio.

  2. Resource List Substitution Form
  3. Competency grids: an optional tool intended to help you identify and organize the experiences and work products you would like to include in your portfolio.
  4. Sample Portfolios: