Grass-Roots/School-Youth Programs/Marriage Job Announcement/Grant applications - 2/06

[Smartmarriages]

- HHS GRANT SITE IS NOT MAC FRIENDLY
- HEALTHY MARRIAGE GRASS-ROOTS SESSIONS?
- MONEY TO FIGHT DIVORCE
- MARRIAGE EDUCATION COORDINATOR, WASHINGTON DC

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- HHS GRANT SITE IS NOT MAC FRIENDLY

There was an article in the Washington Post Monday that pointed out that the
HHS grant application site only worked with PCs.  Not with Macs. They're
working on it, but be aware of this possible glitch.  - diane

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- HEALTHY MARRIAGE GRASS-ROOTS SESSIONS?
Diane, 
A few weeks back you sent us the line-up of Atlanta Conference sessions that
will focus on Community Healthy Marriage Initiatives.  You called it a
track. You seems, this year, you've left out the Grassroots Rallies that
have traditionally closed the conference.  I found these to be most useful
and most inspiring and I strongly urge you to reinstate them. I hope it's
not too late to do this in Atlanta.  It helps to have a send off like this
and to hear from others that have had success and it is a big mistake to
drop these. 
- CR 

We have closed the conference in the past two years with a plenary/keynote
Marriage Rally - and, you're right, those have been very well received.  We
decided this year with the $100 Million funding, to move this concentration
forward in the conference and will have Stoica and Curtis do a "Ready, Set,
Go!" Keynote and the ACF Staff do a "Nuts and Bolts" keynote -- both on
Friday. 

We will however, have the traditional and very highly-evaluated closing
GRASSROOTS MARRIAGE RALLY on Sunday afternoon. We've closed with this
Grassroots "how to" community organizing rally every year since 2000.   It
was a total oversight on my part to not list that in the CHMI line up of
sessions for Atlanta.  In fact, I just checked the archive - couldn't
believe I'd left it out. I agree with you that it is a MUST-ATTEND session
for anyone working to organize their community - features exemplary
community organizing leaders. And, this is one of the recordings EACH YEAR
that I encourage everyone to order and listen to.  It's different every
year, filled with community organizing ideas, and the excitement from these
presenters very strongly conveys.   - diane

> 817 ­ Marriage Rally: Teach In
> Transforming Communities Grassroots Style
> Julie Baumgardner, MA, Bill Seabrook, MS, Nisa Muhammad, Jennifer Baker, PsyD
> Learn what communities across the country are doing to strengthen marriage and
> how you can follow their lead. Brainstorm about opportunities ­ free media,
> the web, funding, volunteers, creating buy-in - and how to avoid the stumbling
> blocks.

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- MONEY TO FIGHT DIVORCE

This article features Smart Marriages Conference presenter, Nancy McLaren,
creator of the Loving Well program for middle and high schools.  If we were
forced to pick just one area to tackle the divorce/family breakdown, I'd
pick the schools and the school marriage education curricula.  Which is why
we make these two training institutes FREE.

> 118 One Day - Thursday: June 22 - Free admission.
> School & Youth Marriage Education Programs
> Active Relationships - Garth Heckman
> Building Relationships - Peter Larson, PhD
> PAIRS for PEERS - Ellen Purcell
> Relationship Intelligence - Richard Panzer
> We have to start with the kids! These programs - being taught
> across the country - teach students about the skills and knowledge
> central to building and maintaining good marriages. Curricula are
> easily adapted to classroom, church or community and youth
> group settings.  Teens also encouraged to attend. See #918.

> 918 One Day - Monday, June 26 - Free admission.
> School & Youth Marriage Education Programs
> Kay Reed, chair
> Love U2 - Marline Pearson, MA
> CONNECTIONS - Char Kamper, MA, Scott Gardner, PhD
> Loving Well - Nancy McLaren, MAT
> We have to start with the kids! These research-based, best practice,
> developmentally appropriate programs  - being taught
> across the country - teach students the skills and knowledge that are
> central to building and maintaining healthy marriages. Curricula are
> easily adapted to classroom, church or community and youth
> group settings.  Teens encouraged to attend. See #118.
> Click for more information: http://www.smartmarriages.com/school.html


Money to Fight Divorce
Berkshire Eagle 
$750M budgeted to boost marriage
By Evan Lehmann, Eagle Washington Bureau

Wednesday, February 15
WASHINGTON ‹ Could $750 million save marriages or nudge singles toward the
altar?

The federal government hopes so, investing hundreds of millions into
programs to soften the divorce rate and promote marriage through
advertisements, counseling and education in the nation's public schools.

The controversial program comes as Internet dating is exploding and the
number of marriages is falling. The divorce rate, meanwhile, has been on the
rise since the 1960s, and more children are growing up in single-parent
homes.

President Bush wants to do something about that.

In 2001, he introduced his Strengthen Marriage Initiative and called on
Congress in 2004 to infuse $1.5 billion into the program. Partial funding
finally came this month: $150 million each year through 2010.

Pittsfield High School Principal Jake Eberwein called the idea of teaching
marriage in schools "bizarre."

"While I think it's a worthy cause, I think there's a lot of worthy causes,"
Eberwein said. "There might be better ways to invest our money."

Nancy McLaren, director of the Loving Well Project at Boston University's
School of Education, has been developing school curriculum aimed at
strengthening relationships since the 1980s. She said the "rise of the
divorce culture" started in the 1960s with the concept of "free love," birth
control and casual sex.

Marriage as an institution is "struggling," she said.

"This family education gives people a whole new level of hope and
opportunity," said McLaren.

The new program will provide grants to religious groups, high schools and
nonprofits that demonstrate they can increase the number of marriages,
decrease divorces, and prepare fathers for raising children.

Ad campaigns will promote the "value of marriage," and programs will teach
relationship and family budgeting skills.

Funding for the marriage program comes as the Bush administration proposes
deep cuts to social programs for the poor and as educators protest what they
say is chronic under-funding of school programs ‹ elements of society that
also play a role in healthy marriages.

"We're hurting here," Eberwein said, referring to his school's budget.

Divorce and single-parent homes are "certainly something as a society that
we need to address," he said. "However, just looking at the needs in our
school, there are a lot of things that need to be shored up."

President's budget

The president's $2.7 trillion budget released last week for the fiscal year
beginning Oct. 1 proposes eliminating or reducing 141 programs, including
the Community Service Block Grant program. The program infused $630 million
into programs this year providing emergency services to poor residents,
including those helped by the Berkshire Community Action Council.

The council has warned that the cuts would close food pantries and disrupt
services that provide home heating assistance and other programs. But
supporters of the president's marriage plan say it acknowledges an urgent
need to reverse a growing culture of divorce.

Between 1962 and 1981, the divorce rate nearly tripled in the United States,
reaching 1.2 million in 1981. That trend has not significantly retreated.

Low divorce rate

For decades, Massachusetts has experienced one of the lowest divorce rates
in the nation, according to the Division of Vital Statistics at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2004, the commonwealth had a minute 2.2 divorces for every 1,000 people.
There is no state with a lower rate. Nevada has the highest divorce rate at
6.4 for every 1,000 people. During the first seven months of 2004,
Massachusetts had 22,642 marriages and 8,284 divorces.

Some marriage advocates in the state are concerned, despite the low divorce
rate here. They believe modern social practices like birth control and
girlfriend-boyfriend apartment sharing has eroded the significance of
marriage. Younger couples can enjoy the benefits of marriage without the
commitment, they say.

"You cannot get a driver's license without going through six or eight months
of training," said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family
Institute. "Yet we issue a marriage license at the drop of a hat. It's
absolutely ludicrous to think young people are prepared for marriage through
watching Hollywood movies."

################################
- MARRIAGE EDUCATION COORDINATOR, WASHINGTON DC

POSITION:  Marriage Education Coordinator
EMPLOYMENT STATUS:  Regular Full-Time Exempt
SALARY: 40s
WHERE: www.ecccinc.org/

East Capitol Center for Change (ECCC) in Washington, DC is seeking a
central coordinator of it's "Healthy MARRIAGE - Strong Families" Initiative.
East Capitol Center for Change is a non-profit organization serving children
and families in Wards 7 & 8 of Washington, DC.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
 -  Serve as central coordinator of marriage initiative, including
establishing a broad community vision for building healthy marriages and
relationships.
 -  Develop and maintain partnerships with businesses and corporations,
hospitals and clinics, school officials, church and community leaders;
conducting presentations to market the program and increasing involvement in
initiative's operating plans to strengthen and prepare couples for
marriage
 -  Facilitate development of community partnerships and represent ECCC in
community coalitions
 -  Maintain strong relationships with national marriage leaders to identify
and evaluate best practices across the country, providing subject-area
expertise and working with other staff to identify research needs
 -  Work with Staff Working Group in development of programming,
communications and media plans to promote and further the Marriage
Initiative, to include marriage education, fatherhood and abstinence
components
 -  Develop and maintain relationships with potential program participants
 -  Participate in workshop and event coordination with team; identifying,
training and mobilizing facilitators, keynote speakers & participants
 -  Write articles, program summaries and other materials to support the
initiative
 -  Facilitate ongoing communication regarding community problems and
proposed solutions related to the marriage initiative.
 -  Oversee the quality of data collection and mentor support work conducted
by VISTA volunteers, ECCC case managers and partnering agencies; track
program outcomes to determine effectiveness
 -  Maintain relationships with key Government and advocacy organizations

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
 -  At least five years experience coordinating family/couples programming,
marriage work is a plus
 -  Bachelor's Degree or better in family development, social work,
counseling or related field
 -  Experience working in urban community
 -  Must have supervisory, management and leadership experience
 -  Must be able to interact effectively with clergy, businessmen, community
leaders, politicians, other ECCC program participants, ECCC staff and the
general public
 -  Have excellent communication, writing and presentation skills
 -  Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications

HOW TO APPLY:
All interested applicants will undergo a thorough screening process, to
include an interview, reference and background check.  If interested,
send a letter of interest and resume' to sbarnes at ecccinc.org.  Attn:
Shalyta Barnes.  
####################

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10th Annual Smart Marriages Conference, Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel,
June 22-25, 2006
Pre and Post Conference Training Institutes June 20-28
http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html
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Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW,   Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332
cmfce at smartmarriages.com

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