Developed by the Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development and the State of Louisiana Department of Human Resources, the Exploring Relationships and Marriage with Fragile Families Curriculum emerged from the need for relationships and marriage education relevant to low-income communities, particularly those who have grown up in and been influenced by hip-hop culture.

This 8-session curriculum infuses culturally-relevant tools and techniques into interactive, skill-building activities that use real-world scenarios based on issues that are distinct to low-income communities. Focused on communication skills, conflict resolution, personal and familial goal setting, effective parenting, and planning for the future, the curriculum is relevant to mothers and fathers interested in strengthening their relationships, exploring marriage, and providing a healthy and safe environment for their children. This group usually runs once a week for eight weeks.

• Week 1: Advanced Relationships Today
• Week 2: Healthy Relationships
• Week 3: Mind on Marriage Mountain
• Week 4: Conflict Control Room
• Week 5: Weather Storm Safe-Station
• Week 6: Sweet Truth Talk Shop
• Week 7: The Real Thing Spa
• Week 8: Rings, Wings and Reasons to Wait Center

Developed by Family Wellness Associates, who have worked with culturally diverse and low income communities for over 38 years, The Couple: The Strongest Link is engaging and has a hands on approach beginning with low risk exercises using immediate support, examples and practice.  The program uses a lot of role-plays where situations are scripted around different values, level of need for physical intimacy, money, issues, dealing with criticism, and having/raising children. The core sessions include communication skills, problem solving, knowing personal goals and values as well as couple goals, money management, intimacy, and paying back your community with the skills learned. This group is offered in various formats including: weekly for six weeks or three Saturdays in a row.

List of Topics:

• Getting Started Together: Finding the Partner for You and Building Your Skills.
• Being a Strong Team: Commitment, Personal Issues, Cooperation
• Two Worlds - One Relationship: Cross Cultural Couples - Family and Ethnicity Issues.
• Know What You Want: Know What You Want for Yourself and Your Relationship.
• Say and Get What You Want: Working Together and Resolving Conflicts
• Blowing on the Embers: Love for The Ages.

Within Our Reach is a new curriculum from PREP (Prevention Relationship Enhancement Program) designed to help couples achieve their goals in marriage, family and relationships. The curriculum is designed to build on the existing strengths of couples and add critical life and relationship skills that will help participants create safer, more stable couple relationships, and by extension, better environments for their children. Within Our Reach identifies issues that place couples at higher risk for relationship difficulties as well as significant barriers to marriage and marital success. Sites hosting this training offer it in a variety of times.

List of Topics:

• Escalation and Time Out
• The Speaker Listener Technicque
• Stress and Relaxation in Relationships
• We've Got Issues
• By My Side: Supporting Each Other
• Invalidation and Withdrawal
• Seeing and Believing
• You, Me and Us
• Personal Road Mapping
• Commitment Matters
• Connecting with Community