USU extension program awarded $7.6 million grant

By Jillian McCarthy

Healthy Relationships Utah, a Utah State University extension program, recently received a $7.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Assistance. This grant will provide statewide healthy relationship and family life education as well as offer USU students the chance to get involved.

Pamela Morrill, the project manager over the family life educators, said that this grant will allow the program to add a new class called Love Notes, as well as teach young adults in Utah’s youth detention centers and alternative high schools. Healthy Relationships Utah wants to show these youth ways to get to a better place in their relationships and in their communication.

Because Healthy Relationships Utah is part of the extension system, the program extends throughout 10 Utah counties. There are four classes offered: How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk or Jerk-ette, Couple Links, Parenting with Love and Logic and Smart Steps for Stepfamilies. These classes are offered free of charge, which is why they rely on federal and state grants to keep the program running.

“USU has such a variety of students that are enrolled in these classes from those looking for relationship advice, to married couples and students in Family Consumer and Human Development, or FCHD, that want more information for their majors,” said Leticia Clegg, a family life educator in the Cache, Box Elder and Weber counties. “These classes offer great information and advice to help these students with relationships.”

Healthy Relationships Utah provides research opportunities for students, with this new grant as well as in the program’s classes.

Clegg said that a certificate is awarded when someone completes the Parenting with Love and Logic class. She said that it is a great source for students to put on their resumes if they want to work with children.

“Some of my FCHD students have expressed interest in being a part of this new project funded by the grant allowing us to teach these young adults in Utah’s youth detention centers and alternative high schools,” said Brian Higginbotham, Utah State University Extension associate vice president and professor in the FCHD Department. “This gives students real life experience; practicums for undergraduate students and assistantships for graduate students.”

A family relations PhD student, Sheryl Goodey, said she became interested with this new project because she enjoys helping others obtain these resources and information that Healthy Relationships Utah provides.

“I have gained as much knowledge, if not more, than a textbook from this program,” Goodey said.

There might also be some opportunities available for students who have received a degree in any of the family sciences.

“We will look at possibly hiring some additional life educators to provide services that will be offered due to the new grant,” Morrill said.

Due to the funder of the grant’s request, this new project will not start until the summer or fall of 2016. This will give Healthy Relationships Utah and the family life educators time to prepare and gather resources. The grant will be distributed over a five-month period and will also go to continue funding the Smart Steps for Stepfamilies class, since the funding for this class is almost gone; this grant will ensure that this class stays in the program.

For more information on Healthy Relationships Utah, visit healthyrelationshipsutah.org.

— jillian.mccarthy@aggiemail.usu.edu