Room for Curiosity started with a simple observation: most of the secular and humanist communities we came across in Rochester are built for adults. The family programming that does exist locally, mostly through Unitarian Universalist congregations, centers on UU identity and history, welcoming people of any belief but built around a specific tradition rather than around agnostic, spiritual but not religious, secular, or deconstructing families like ours.
At the same time, we found ourselves saying the same thing as parents like us. We wanted to volunteer and wanted our kids to grow up giving back. We just didn't know where to start, or we assumed having young children ruled it out. Most nonprofits simply aren't set up to include kids as volunteers.
But underneath all of that is something simpler. We need somewhere to have real conversations about the big questions, like what we believe, why we're here, why people do the things they do, and what we want to pass down to our children, without a religious framework attached to the answers. We need somewhere to speak openly about the inexplicable, and about the moments of awe that live with us, without feeling pressure to explain them away or name them as anything in particular. Most of us don't have a room for that. We built one.
Photo by https://unsplash.com/@tama66
You're not the only one
Come through the door with your beliefs exactly as they are: settled, unsettled, still taking shape. Bring your doubts, your wonder, and the things you can't quite explain. It doesn't matter where you are. This is less a destination than a long walk, and you can join it, rest from it, and return to it whenever you need.
Questions are welcome, and so is not knowing yet. That is really the whole point of the room. Whether you arrive alone or bring your whole family, no one will push you to share more than feels right. We make space for the inexplicable and for the moments of awe that stay with us, and more often than not, the person beside you is quietly carrying something similar. That's often where real connection begins: in noticing you're not the only one.
And once that connection takes hold, it doesn't stay in the room. It turns outward, into volunteering together with local nonprofits, families and individuals alike.
Making room together
Everyone is welcome. We’re making room for individuals and families to gather together while we get to know one another and discover what this community wants to become. As the community takes shape, we’ll make room for different ways of gathering together, including family gatherings, adults-only conversations and activities, and anything else meaningful to the group.
One Saturday a month
Coming Soon
These afternoons step outside conversation and into something we can do together. That might mean time outdoors, a hands-on project, a shared piece of art or music, a seasonal tradition, or a local outing. Less about talking through an idea, more about living inside one for a couple of hours.
Every other Monday 6:30–8:00 PM
Coming Soon
These evenings are for the questions that don't have easy answers, conversations about philosophy, meaning, ethics, the stories we tell, and the ideas that shape how we see things. We usually pair the conversation with something hands-on, a small activity or exercise that gives the question somewhere to land, so you're not just talking about an idea, you're working through it together. Come ready to think out loud, not to have it all figured out.
We are building a place where belief and belonging aren't at odds, and where curiosity is enough to bring people together. It begins with those of us who found each other here. In time, it becomes a space of our own, somewhere to gather, to explore the big questions, to speak openly about the inexplicable, and to bring our families. What we make here travels, including curriculum and activity kits that find their way into homes beyond ours. And the door stays open to anyone still working out what they believe, and to anyone who has ever been stopped short by something they couldn't explain.