About 160,000 people got divorced in 2014 in Florida, according to state Department of Health statistics. The instability that comes with divorce can have wide-ranging effects on social services, education and even the local economy. To help build stronger marriages, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has put its department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences to work developing workshops that help couples better communicate with each other, no matter what their relationship status is. In Citrus County, UF/IFAS Extension offers three different SmartCouples workshops, available online or in person at the UF/IFAS Extension Citrus County office in Lecanto:

• Before You Tie the Knot: A premarital program for couples who are striving to start their marriages on the right foot.
• ELEVATE: A program for couples – dating cohabiting, engaged or married – who want to improve their communication skills and strengthen their relationships.
• Smart Steps: A stepfamily program designed to strengthen relationships between remarried or re-partnered couples and their children.

This UF/IFAS video shows UF/IFAS' Dr. Victor Harris conducting a Smart Steps workshop for step families, with reactions from couples who have taken the course. To learn more about SMART Couples Relationship Training, visit Smartcouples.org or contact the Extension office at (352) 527-5700.

UF/IFAS assistant professor Victor Harris conducts a relationship training course in this YouTube screen capture. YouTube.com