Strong Couples Project offers relationship education for Iowans

Maintaining a strong romantic relationship can be challenging for couples. The Strong Couples Project, an online relationship education project from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, can help couples improve communication, connection, intimacy and the strength of their relationships. The project is backed by decades of research and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is making it available for Iowans.

“The Strong Couples Project is not counseling; it’s education,” Anthony Santiago, human sciences specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said.

The project consists of six online sessions over six weeks, and each session takes about 45 minutes to an hour. The online sessions are supplemented with five, 20-minute coaching calls over Zoom. Registration is required but there is no cost to participate. Couples can participate in the project at any time. The beginning and ending dates are flexible.

“You and your partner can complete all the project activities at home at a time that works for the two of you,” Santiago said.

“Research shows that thousands of couples who have participated in the Strong Couples Project have improved their couple and individual wellbeing compared with couples who did not participate in the project,” Santiago, who specializes in family wellbeing, said. “That’s why we are partnering with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to make this project available for Iowans.”

For more information about the Strong Couples Project, Iowans may contact human sciences specialists Anthony Santiago, ads@iastate.edu; Danielle Day, daday@iastate.edu; or Ryan A. Stuart, rastuart@iastate.edu.