Every intersection in the road of life is an opportunity to make a decision. — Duke Ellington

This first workshop lays the foundation for the program by demonstrating how we make decisions and how ethical decision making can shape one's character for life. The workshop presents information on ethical theory. Yet this program is not about theories; rather, it is an opportunity to examine how living our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to make ethical decisions even though to do so is often difficult. In this and future workshops, participants work together to untangle situations where conflicting ethical standards make it hard to discern the "right" decision.

This workshop introduces anklet making and journaling as spiritual practices to assist in ethical decision making. The youth create a group covenant, a commitment particularly important because of the personal experiences participants may share. Make sure to post the completed covenant where the group can refer to it throughout this program.

Goals

This workshop will:

• Postulate that actions resulting from decision making shape our character
• Develop a covenant to create safe space for sharing personal experiences
• Explain some of the science behind how we make decisions.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Recognize how the ethics we use to make decisions help shape our character
• Understand a simplified scientific explanation for how the brain makes decisions
• Create a group covenant
• Reflect on workshop concepts, through journaling and jewelry making.