Cynthia Jijon and Jordan Jensen were born worlds apart: She in
Ecuador and he in Utah. After dating for two years, they married in March. But
first, they completed an SLCC marriage course to strengthen their union.
“We’ve combined each other’s differences and, with this
class, we’re hoping to celebrate those differences rather than worry about
them,” Cynthia says.
Dubbed “Passport to Love,” the program is a partnership between
SLCC and the Utah Marriage Commission, which funds it. It’s designed to educate
married and engaged couples, to arm them with techniques and tools to help
their marriages thrive. The overarching principle behind the program is that
stronger marriages make stronger communities.
Passport to Love is composed of five evening workshops
designed as a series of fun date nights once per week. Each is based on a theme
of world travel, with 15 couples per workshop. So far, nearly 80 couples have
been through the program at Taylorsville Redwood Campus. It kicked off in 2018.
In addition to food and small travel-themed prizes, the
workshops teach techniques and communication tools to improve marriage
relationships and overcome challenges. That includes de-escalation techniques
for heated conversations, identifying personality pitfalls (in oneself, not
one’s partner), role play and learning to manage expectations.
“It was a way for me to improve in some areas,” Jordan says.
“I think this class has helped us to know who we want to be and what kind of
marriage that we want to have.”
The workshops utilize PREP (Prevention Relationship
Enhancement Program) curriculum, based on over 30 years of research and testing
and geared toward enhancing intimacy, connection and commitment in
relationships. Passport to Love is directed by Family and Human Studies
Associate Professor Mark Jarvis, who also is a governor-appointee to the Utah
Marriage Commission.
For more information, visit passporttolove.org.