Announcing the 2024 GA Cohort Groups

GA Cohorts are a new groundbreaking initiative aimed at deepening engagement and fostering collaboration. These intimate gatherings will unite individuals around shared goals, interests, and experiences, offering a unique space for guided conversations, community building, and skill-building. Cohort meetings are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during GA. Facilitators will lead two gatherings per day each day, accommodating different time zones and scheduling preferences. Feel free to create your own Cohort Group when the GA app becomes available in June. We're excited to announce the following Cohort Groups led by UUA Staff and UU Affiliate Organizations.

• Building Bridges, Dismantling Barriers: Journeying Towards Disability Justice
  EqUUal Access
  We'll delve into the multifaceted concept of disability justice, fostering a space for collective learning and action. Whether you're a seasoned disability advocate or just starting your journey, we welcome you (allies included!). Together, we can build a future where disability is celebrated, not ostracized, and where everyone thrives together.
• Religious Educators: Lived Stories of the Profession
  Liberal Religious Educators Association and UUA Office of Professional Development and Credentialing
  Religious Education professionals (including directors, coordinators, ministers of RE, assistants, etc., working with children, youth or adults) are invited to connect and reflect on the profession of religious education. There will be opportunities for identity-based breakout groups and some time for breakouts by professional context (e.g. program size, region, length of time in the profession, etc.).
• Stewardship Boosters
  Stewardship for Us
  Join together to talk about the challenges and blessings possible in our collective work in stewardship. Let's discuss innovations, spirit, and possibility in how we steward our congregations. We'll connect and share tips, samples and successes.
• Meaningful Class Conversations
  UU Class Conversations and ClassAware
  Members will explore their own class background and explore the feelings that social class evokes. They will explore the lessons they were taught about class growing up and the actual strengths/limitations of each class background. They will discuss classism in their lives and UU circles and how to end it.
• UU Climate Justice
  UU Climate Justice Coalition
  The UU Climate Justice Coalition organizes UUs around climate justice at all levels. This Cohort will engage UUs around a strategic question: What will sustain UUs to engage in long-term actions and cultural shifts towards climate justice?
• Tools for Spiritual Deepening
  UU Wellspring and UU Spiritual Directors Network
  UU Wellspring inc and UU Spiritual Directors Network are collaborating to provide you with an overview of UU Wellspring's new program: Love at the Center: UU Values and Covenants with a focus on Spiritual Practices and Spiritual Direction. Each day will engage you in a spiritual deepening experience.
• Circles of Solidarity
  UU Women's Federation
  Circles of Solidarity is UUWF’s 2024 campaign, bridging the intersectional and interconnected understandings of our four priority issues. Our cohort series will uplift the importance of relationship-building through stories, workshops, and facilitated conversations, as well as give folks looking to level up on their justice work a space to grow. We will be equipping our community to be true allies and accomplices for gender justice and collective liberation.
• Lay Leadership Network
  UUA Congregational Life
  What are the pathways to leadership in Unitarian Universalism? Why is it a journey and not a destination? What does covenant have to do with it? Join us for an explanation and exploration of collaborative ministry/shared ministry and the Leadership Ministry Network.
• Small UU Congregations
  UUA Congregational Life
  As small congregations continue to face a growing number of challenges, this cohort offers an opportunity for of the lay leaders, religious professionals, members, and friends of small UU congregations to gather, connect, and learn from one another. Facilitated by UU staff who specialize in working with small congregations.
• Becoming a Post-Imperial People of Faith
  UUA International Office
  This cohort will gather in an authentic spirit of learning with those committed to decolonizing their ways of being and their communities. This will be especially engaging for those with global U/U partners and connections.
• The Mosaic: Living Our Antiracist, Multicultural Commitments
  UUA Mosaic Team
  This cohort welcomes members of congregations who are engaged in antiracist multicultural transformation, whether you’re just starting or you’ve been at it for decades. We’ll explore the growing hub of resources and opportunities that is The Mosaic, and create spaces for networking, engagement, and inspiration.
• Sustainable Staffing Strategizers
  UUA Office of Church Staff Finances
  Are you eager to pursue creative, values-based ways of aligning your missional priorities and staffing with your financial resources? In this highly participatory, wide-ranging experience, we’ll discuss staffing trends, models, and challenges; shared leadership; small-bet experiments; and emerging approaches. Includes presentations, case studies, polls, and lots of meaningful conversation!
• Side With Love
  UUA Organizing Strategy Team
  This cohort is group of leaders, activists, and partners who are engaged in Side With Love programs (UU the Vote, Climate Justice/Green Sanctuary, Decriminalization, UPLIFT/Gender Justice). We're convening these groups collectively to grow relationships across issues, demonstrate intersectionality among the issues, and tell the larger story of Side With Love.
• Organizing for Trans Liberation
  UUSC and UUA
  Our trans and gender expansive beloveds are under attack and being criminalized in many US states right now. The UUA and UUSC are partnering with trans-led organizers, mutual aid groups and other people of faith to resist fascism and support trans liberation. Join us to learn how you can too.

Details for Cohort Facilitators

2024 GA Cohorts Facilitator Guide (Word DocX)

Key Dates

• January 12 — Deadline for cohort proposals
• February 29 — Deadline to report any edits or presenter changes.
• March 15 — Deadline to report any edits or presenter changes. Deadline to upload speaker photos and bios. Deadline to submit a 60 second trailer video
• May 31 — PDF Handouts and Flow Plans Due
• June 1 — GA registrants in cohorts will receive links to program content and other materials.
• June 7 — Deadline for Cohort Main Contacts to furnish GA staff the Zoom link(s) for Cohort Sessions.

GA Cohorts will be facilitated by UUA staff and UUA Professional Organizations. Further information will be provided soon. We are not currently accepting additional proposals. Nevertheless, individuals are welcome to establish their own cohort group using the GA app, which will be operational starting June 1. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.