Education Coalition

Education Coalition: The education system is a key coalition for strengthening Oklahoma families. While our state's schools do not have an obvious direct involvement in a couple's marriage in the same way as, say, the churches and religious organizations, the potential impact and opportunity to influence and teach each individual that will form a future marriage is great. By educating individuals in marital expectation, decision-making and other interpersonal relationship skills, each partner in a future marriage is better equipped to work through difficult situations.

Because many couples in Oklahoma marry young, and because those marriages often end in divorce, equipping students in relationship skills throughout their public education is critical. It is also our hope that, by teaching relationship skills, some of these young marriages will be delayed until such time as both partners have reached a more stable, secure point in their lives and are prepared for the challenges of marriage. In addition, many of Oklahoma's children are growing up the product of divorced parents. Many have not witnessed or experienced good examples of a successful marriage. Teaching these children relationship skills will benefit those who do not have positive models of marriage in their lives, and it will reinforce the example to those who live in strong, intact families. The skills needed to maintain a successful marriage also apply to other interpersonal relationships (siblings, co-workers, teachers, friends)-improving those skills improves those relationships as well.

The Education Coalition has generated unique ideas related to the implementation of marriage and relationship education services in classroom settings.

• With the assistance and support of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the OMI has trained hundreds of Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers in Connections + PREP, a youth-oriented marriage education curriculum created specially for Oklahoma high school students.
• The OMI partnership with Oklahoma State University has led to unique research opportunities and a partnership with the Bureau for Social Research and the Human Development and Family Science Department.
• OMI team members and partners have worked with several Oklahoma colleges and universities to add relationship classes to their curriculum and/or incorporate PREP information into existing freshman orientation or other appropriate courses. Langston University, Oklahoma State University, University of Central Oklahoma have all pursued this opportunity and others are in the works!