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Amy Huntereece, Ph.D. is a 2021 graduate of the PHD Program in Leadership and Change at Antioch University.

Amy Huntereece at her Dissertation Defense.

From L-R: Dr. Joseph Wegwert, Committee Member, Dr. Lize Booysen, Committee Chair, Dr. Lemuel Watson, Committee Member

Dissertation Committee

  • Lize (A.E.) Booysen, DBL, Committee Chair
  • Lemuel W. Watson, Ed.D., Committee Member
  • Joseph C. Wegwert, Ph.D., Committee Member

Keywords

Unitarian Universalist, religious education, faith formation, engagement, Generation X, Millennials, parenting, action research, adaptive leadership, collaborative leadership

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

The issues that this research addressed were the changes related to engagement in religious education (RE) in the Unitarian Universalist (UU) church in the past several decades. To address this problem, the purpose of this research was to innovatively problem-solve with other religious professionals and consider how to redefine engagement to support families in their faith formation. The research aims to answer the question: How could UU RE professionals more effectively engage families in faith formation opportunities designed to meet the desired outcomes of RE parents/caregivers? To gather data, interviews with seven Millennial and Generation X parents/caregivers from the Baja 4 UU congregations in Southern Arizona were conducted. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. The data from interviews provided insight about Gen X and Millennial parents’/caregivers’ needs, desires, and expectations and gaps in their RE program, types of multigenerational offerings, and alternative approaches to engagement. A new RE engagement pilot study was designed by a team of innovators and launched for three weeks. Following the pilot study, a summarizing focus group was facilitated. Parents/caregivers had the opportunity to offer additional thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. Together we made meaning of the data from the interviews and focus groups and synthesized it to redefine engagement and offer pedagogical indications for the future of faith formation in the UU church. This dissertation is accompanied by one MP4 file. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/etd.

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Amy Huntereece

ORCID Scholar ID #: #0000-0001-7498-4127

Dr. Amy Huntereece has served as a nurturer, teacher, and guide for people ages 0-100 for nearly 40 years. Her experience with Waldorf education has forged a passion for learning from the inside out and her spiritual practice with Unitarian Universalism has fostered a deep appreciation and love for the interconnected web of life. She earned both her master’s degree in education, Waldorf certification, and PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. Dr. Huntereece has always approached change within organizations creatively and positively. She is a proponent for improving systems and meeting the needs of the stakeholders, rather than perpetuating antiquated methods. She desires intellectually stimulating work and chooses to lead through change in supportive, impactful, interconnected, and innovative ways that encourage self-discovery and joy. She is particularly interested in how educators can meet the needs of learners through adaptive, collaborative, and transformational leadership. Amy lives in the beautiful mountains of Flagstaff Arizona with her husband and two teenagers. She enjoys hiking with her dog, cooking home grown veggies in her instant pot, and quieting her academic mind by busying her hands with a crochet project.

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