Families

Welcome! You’ve found the right place if you are interested in learning how to strengthen your family relationships. The UVU Stronger Families Project is an educational, family-based program one night a week for 8 weeks. Using an evidence-based, nationally-recognized curriculum, we teach both parents and children how to improve their interaction and emotional patterns within the family. This program is completely free to families. In both family and individual classes, participants will learn about and discuss strategies to implement the following topics.

LEARN TO IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES

Interpersonal Relationships

Communication Skills

Family Values

One-on-one Time

Family Meetings

Community & Family Support Systems

Program

The Stronger Families Project offers "Survival Skills for Healthy Families," a research-based family life education course specially designed to meet the relational needs of parents and their children in our community. Classes are taught at various locations across Utah County completely free of charge by student interns and staff from Utah Valley University. Participants in SFP meet one evening per week over the length of the 8-week course. SFP provides the tools necessary to help families reach their optimal potential.

Workbook

The Stronger Families Project provides each family with a free workbook to take notes and follow instruction during class. It correlates to the curriculum taught in the program. The workbook includes handouts that generate additional at-home weekly discussion and application worksheets to do with family members. These are intended for families to continue exercising fundamental skills for happy, healthy relationships.

Coaching

In addition to general parenting strategies taught in family life education classes, interns will personalize content to each family’s needs through individual coaching. Parents will receive a weekly phone call and email for ongoing points of contact help families accomplish their program goals. These vital services are another way the Project is helping participants develop healthy family functioning skills and build stronger relationships.

See what others have to say View Family Testimonials

Interested in learning how to strengthen your family relationships?

APPLICATION DETAILS

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of schedule will there be each week?

For the whole family program, families arrive on site by at least 6:20 p.m. The evening begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. Each session begins with individual group 1-hour classes based on age/situation: parent, teen, children, and toddler-preschool classes.

Children and their parents will be learning the same material, but on a developmentally appropriate level, and how their role can support the family. The final 30 minutes will be a large group “Family Class” class, with family members participating together (except for children under 7 who stay in their individual class).

In the parent-only virtual site, parents sign into a Microsoft Teams meeting at least by 6:20 p.m. The session begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. The class is full of interactive activities and discussions, so be ready to engage!

Do we need to agree to the mid-weekly phone calls and at home family activities? What is their purpose?

There are several ways we support you throughout this program:

Attending the weekly sessions at your site.
A mid-week home contact. The mid-weekly phone call is an additional resource we offer the families attending SFP. It’s a brief, weekly check-in from your assigned Family Liaison. This allows us to personalize the content of the program to each family’s needs and help you get the most out of your SFP experience. These ongoing points of contact are another way SFP helps you achieve your goals and move toward healthy family functioning. You and your assigned family liaison will determine the same time each week to accommodate for your schedules.
A third aspect of the program is applying the classwork through at-home activities along with a free family workbook. The family skills activities are designed to help your family apply principles learned in classes and work together better for a stronger, happier family.

Who will be teaching the classes?

University student interns majoring in Family Science, mainly from Utah Valley University, teach classes using an evidence-based, nationally recognized curriculum that promotes proven principles that strengthen, support, and empower families. Student interns receive extensive academic training and have become certified to teach the curriculum and are supervised by UVU faculty.

Are there babysitters for my baby?

Babes in arms are to stay with their parents. We have a Toddler/Preschool class for children 18 months to about 4 years old and a 5–7-year-old class with trained teachers during the whole family site. These children stay in their classes the entire night from 6:30-8:00 p.m.