YEE is a program of CREATIVE VALUES-BASED LEARNING offering families a space of BELONGING BEYOND BELIEF
Register for a season of ETHICS to strengthen and support your family’s culture of goodness.
ALL ARE WELCOME, free of charge, WITH Registration & RSVP.
Families are welcome to become MEMBERS of THE NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE.
For more information about membership,
please reach out to YEE program director, Audrey Kindred, or membership director Maggie Determann.
Audrey Kindred directs the programs for children, youth and families here at ETHICAL NYC.
Please feel free to reach out with questions, hopes and ideas: Akindred@nysec.org
Young Ethical Explorers ~ YEE
Request weekly emails from YoungETHICALexplorers@gmail.com and visit our website: www.nysec.org/youth/
*** YEE’s Fall Season 2024: October 27 ~ December 15
A season of “GREEN”ing & GROWING GOODNESS
*** YEE’s Winter Season 2025: January 5 ~ March 30
A season of “UBUNTU” ~ our Interrelated Humanity of Care & Compassion:
including processes and practices for peace & nonviolence
*** YEE’s Spring Season 2025: April 6 ~ June 29
A season of EARTH ETHICS & HUMAN NATURE
Families are welcome to become MEMBERS of New York Society for Ethical Culture though this is not required for participation in YEE.
Ask for Information about FAMILY MEMBERSHIP at ETHICAL NYC!
General Sunday Schedule:
10:30-11am OPEN HOUSE / OPEN PLAY with RSVP
11am-12:30 for parents: A wonderful platform is offered on the 4th floor in Ceremonial Hall
11am-12:30 for children: Children do ethical exploration on the 5th floor.
12:30 Community Lunch ~ (free, contributions welcome).
1:30-2:30 with cooperative parent oversight and agreement to a collective clean up, all ages are welcome for PEACE PLAY on the rooftop.
- OPEN HOUSE/INFO SESSIONS
Open House / Info Sessions. RSVP YoungETHICALexplorers@gmail.com
IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE/ INFO SESSION
FIRST SUNDAYS 10:15am: In person Open House & tour for curious families who would like to find out more about Ethical and the season ahead. At 11am children are invited for YEE, while parents may attend PLATFORM or stay with YEE, followed by Lunch with the Community.
ZOOM OPEN HOUSE/ INFO SESSION for REGISTRATION ~ First Wednesdays at 5pm. Online ZOOM for curious parents/families who would like to find out more about Ethical and the season ahead. RSVP for Zoom link: YoungETHICALexplorers@gmail.com
- FOUR PROGRAM CATEGORIES OF PARTICIPATION:
Teens in-deed (high school) ~ (inquire for details at YoungEthicalExplorers@gmail.com)
Coming of Age (a new cohort is forming welcoming tweens/ 7-8-9 grade) ~ (starting in January 2025. Inquire if interested. Strong commitment required)
Young Ethical Explorers
V-YEE ~ Very Young Ethical Explorers (under 6 years)
- THEMES enhanced by mindfulness, dialogue, creativity, peace play, deed.
- Humanism: The World-wide Human Family
- Ancestors, Diverse Traditions & Roots of Humanity
- The United Nations’ Global Sustainability Goals
- A mindful approach to climate justice awareness:
Calendar:
FOR YOUNG ETHICAL EXPLORERS PROGRAM:
Please reach out to EthicalFamilies@NYSEC.org or YoungETHICALexplorers@gmail.com
to learn about and participate in ETHICAL NYC’s free ongoing family programming.
Our YEE groups play and grow as one HUMAN FAMILY ON EARTH. For developmentally focused connection on the themes at hand, we will also create break out groups to address the varied needs of our younger and older students. Projects are aimed at being inclusive, creative and un-school-like.
V-YEE: Very Young Ethical Explorers gives special attention to the needs of our participants under the age of 6. A guardian is asked to stay in or near the meeting room for the needs of any children under four years of age.
YEE: Children of all ages are welcome here, yet we will also use break-out groups to meet the various needs of our group.
COMING OF AGE: An established coming of age group meets bi-monthly Sundays 10am-12:30 (schedule to be confirmed).
A new coming-of-age cohort will be inaugurated in the winter season with parent meetings in the fall season to prepare.
TEEN inDEED CLUB: Teens will be invited to participate in monthly deeds. Teens from all backgrounds are welcome. To receive into about teen events, please reach out and connect!
ETHICAL PARENT SUPPORT:
PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Ethical NYC honors the devotion of nurturing a family as a worldly deed. We want to support the ethical development of diverse and self-proclaimed families in this challenging world. We hope to support parents in their adult wonders and intellects as well as in their efforts of parenting.
MONTHLY DIALOGUE: Once a month, parents are invited by the ETHICAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE to gather to get to know one another and to discuss their ethical dilemmas and concerns they face as parents, as well as to reflect on the ethical development and needs of their children and their Ethical Culture experience. This dialogue contributes to the YEE committee’s governance and to our responsive programming possibilities, as well as nurturing parents in their sense of involvement and belonging in a community of support.
PARENTS & COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS HELPERS: Parents and community members who feel able and willing to are asked to sign up a few times during the season on our parent volunteer calendar for a role of assisting the group sessions and the monitoring of safe and peaceful play in the early morning play season and after lunch. For the safety of all children, and for the sake of compliance with regulations, it is asked that volunteer parents and community members be willing to be supported with a standard background check.
REGISTER NOW FOR YOUNG ETHICAL EXPLORERS
ETHICAL NYC’s CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
Reach out to EthicalFamilies@NYSEC.org or YoungETHICALexplorers@gmail.com to have registration forms sent directly to your email.
Consistent attendance is valued for the sake of building a community of friendship and connection. Once you enroll, you will determine the terms of your commitment. Please embed the calendar details into your family plans.
Newcomers are always welcome. Visitors are very welcome by arrangement.
COST: This program is FREE for families who register. We encourage parents/guardians to consider engaging in ETHICAL NYC MEMBERSHIP as a way to enhance the holistic experience of belonging to and shaping the ETHICAL FUTURE here at ETHICAL NYC. All are welcome to contribute to program costs on a free will basis, through donations made through our website and earmarked for Young Ethical Explorers.
FAMILY MEMBERSHIP IN ETHICAL NYC: All parents are whole heartedly encouraged and welcomed to become members of Ethical Culture. Information about the membership process will be provided. Membership at Ethical Culture is a free-will act of belonging, support and deed. While all parents are asked to deeply explore the Ethical Culture mission and programming, the decision to become a member is yours to make, and does not preclude your belonging within the children’s program. You may pursue information from YEE director Audrey Kindred. You may also meet with ETHICAL membership director, Maggie Determann.
STRUCTURE OF SUNDAY GATHERINGS
MORNING PEACE PLAY! Arrive at 10:30 on the playground! All ages may play together 10:30-11:00, supporting parents to segue to attending ETHICAL’s adult platform (on the 4th floor) with ease. Parents may bring children to the rooftop and then go to the platform at 11am if they choose to.
EDUCATIONAL SUNDAY YEE SESSIONS: Young Ethical Explorers sessions at 11am. They wrap up with parents coming to pick up participants between by 12:30.
LUNCH: Community luncheon welcomes all at 12:30. All children eat for free, and may be gently guided in manners, and respectful interaction with our elders to reflect our community values. Adults are welcome to offer a financial contribution if able.
MORE PEACE PLAY TIME FOR ALL AGES: After lunch, with collaborative parental support and an agreement to clean up together, children may engage in peaceful play after lunch on the rooftop playground until 2:30pm. Leaving the playground as tidy as we find it is a communal commitment of all players.
INTENT: Our program supports families to join the Ethical Culture community in fostering a peaceful and sustainable world. Ethical Culture Membership is available to YEE Families who choose it..
SHARE ETHICAL: OPEN HOUSES / INFO SESSIONS will take place monthly, so kindly spread the word. YEE participants are ALWAYS welcome to bring a FRIEND. 
