MILTON — The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Santa Rosa County Extension Office will offer SMART Couples Florida, a series of free relationship-strengthening classes.
The classes help teens, couples, parents and stepfamilies learn simple, effective skills to break negative cycles that can disrupt or prevent happy, successful and lifelong relationships.
SMART Couples Florida classes teach partners how to communicate needs, listen to the needs of others, successfully resolve conflicts, and maintain happy and healthy relationships.
Santa Rosa SMART classes include:
Before You Tie the Knot: A premarital program for couples striving for successful marriages; also for singles seeking knowledge and skills of healthy relationships. Topics include communication, finances, parenting, and personal and partner needs.
Classes are Tuesdays, 12-2:30 p.m., Aug. 23 to Sept. 30 at the Pregnancy Resource Center, 5736 Stewart St. in Milton; and Thursdays, 5-7 p.m., Sept. 29 through Oct. 27 at the Pregnancy Resource Center.
Smart Steps: A stepfamily program developed to strengthen relationships between remarried or re-partnered couples and their children, including non-custodial parents.
Classes are Tuesdays, 6-8:30 p.m., Aug. 23 to Sept. 20 at Community Life United Methodist Church, 4115 Soundside Drive in Gulf Breeze. Separate child classes are available for ages 5-15.
You must pre-register before attending the first class. Participants who attend the first two classes will receive a $10 Walmart gift card, and a second gift card once they complete all five class sessions.
Register at www.smartcouples.org. Contact Abby Marshall or Kristin Kennington at the UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Extension Office, 623-3868, for more information.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Relationship-development classes available in Milton