LOGAN — This week is National Marriage Week and the Utah Marriage Commission is celebrating with a series of statewide initiatives highlighting the role of healthy marriages in strengthening families and communities.
Timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, the observance focuses on public education, outreach and awareness of free relationship resources available to Utah residents.
The commission is hosted by Utah State University Extension and is made up of governor-appointed volunteers from academia, relationship and family-life professions, nonprofit organizations, faith communities, media and business. Through partnerships with educators and community organizations, the commission offers no-cost, evidence-based tools designed to help couples build relationship skills and improve family well-being.
Those resources include online courses, podcasts, webinars and downloadable guides that are available year-round.
During National Marriage Week, the commission is highlighting the broader social benefits of stable marriages while promoting its ongoing work across Utah.
Among the activities planned this year are a National Marriage Week proclamation issued by Gov. Spencer Cox; a statewide social media campaign seeking nominations for Utah’s longest-married couple; and they held a free online marriage celebration on Feb. 6 by USU Extension and co-sponsored by the commission.
The longest-married couple selected through the campaign will receive a 30-minute interview documentary. Nominations are being accepted through the commission’s website.
Additional efforts include a statewide billboard campaign to raise awareness of commission resources, along with media interviews featuring commission members and relationship experts.
Commission Chairman Bruce R. Hough said the organization has helped tens of thousands of Utah residents strengthen their relationships through free educational programming.
“The Utah Marriage Commission has helped tens of thousands of Utahns strengthen their relationships through free educational resources, including e-courses, podcasts, webinars, blogs, YouTube videos, online programs, and downloadable guidebooks,” Hough said. “The research is clear. Strong marriages contribute to stronger communities and a healthier society.”
The commission was established 25 years ago by former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt and his wife, Jackie Leavitt, and was later formalized in state law. Its mission is to translate research into practical programs that improve the lives of individuals, families and communities across Utah.
Commission objectives include promoting collaboration among organizations that support stable families, raising awareness about marriage’s role in reducing divorce and unwed parenthood, encouraging public policies that strengthen family relationships, and publicizing premarital counseling and relationship education services available statewide.
Funding for the Utah Marriage Commission comes from marriage license fees and grant support. More information is available at strongermarriage.org.