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FAQ

What is Strong Families Strong Wyoming?

With a mission to help youth build better relationships and better futures for a strong Wyoming, Strong Families Strong Wyoming (SFSW) is Wyoming's Healthy Relationship Initiative aimed at promoting healthy relationships and life skills among youth. We partner with teachers/schools across the state to bring supplemental evidence-based healthy relationship and risk avoidance education into the classroom.
SFSW makes a difference by:
  • Helping youth learn the different ways that healthy relationships support physical and mental health.
  • Supporting youth in their educational and career aspirations.
  • Offering youth opportunities to learn and practice specific communication, decision-making, and goalsetting skills.
  • Dramatically increasing youth capacity to avoid unhealthy risk taking.
  • Helping youth to identify unhealthy relationship behaviors and potential dangers.


How is SFSW Funded?

SFSW has served the State of Wyoming under several federal and state grants since its conception. Currently, the program is funded by two federally funded grant awards through the United States Department of Health and
Human Services:
  1. YOUth Thrive! Project under the Administration for Children and Families' Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education, Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life' (READY4Life) Grant Award. Project Timeline: 2020-2025
  2. Strong YOUth! Strong Wyoming under the Family and Youth Services Bureau's Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Grant Award.
    Project Timeline: 2023-2026


What are the goals of SFSW's Projects?

Our projects empower youth to make informed, healthy choices for their optimal well-being. We work to educate and equip youth with essential skills and knowledge needed to navigate the challenges of adolescence and help them build a foundation for healthy and successful lives. Our goal is to prepare them for a successful transition into adulthood, supporting them in achieving their academic, financial, and personal aspirations.


What topics are covered in the program?

Under our two federally funded projects, we use three supplementary evidence-based curricula that have been carefully selected to address the needs of participating youth and ensure the effectiveness of our programs.
Our curricula cover a range of emphasizing:
  • Self-discovery & self-awareness
  • Self-regulation
  • Healthy vs unhealthy relationships
  • Goal setting
  • Effective communication and conflict resolution
  • Strategies for overcoming peer pressure
  • Setting personal boundaries
  • Healthy decision-making
  • Resisting coercion and intimate partner violence
  • Pacing intimate relationships
  • Prevention of drug, alcohol, and sexual risk behaviors
  • Financial literacy

Click a Project below to learn more.
Youth Thrive!
Strong YOUth! Strong Wyoming

  • YOUth! Thrive: Evidence-based Healthy Relationship Education for ages 15-19
  • Strong YOUth! Strong Wyoming: Evidence-based Healthy Relationship and Risk Avoidance Education for ages 12-19


How do you gauge SFSW's program impact?

Entry and Exit Surveys are used to determine if the program is achieving the projects' planned outcomes. The surveys are private, confidential and optional. Youth may decline the survey or skip any items they wish, and still participate in the program. The purpose of the surveys is to assess any changes in attitude or behavior that students experience from participating in the healthy relationship education unit.

High School youth participating in the YOUth Thrive! Project complete surveys found Here.


Middle/Jr. and High School youth participating in the Strong YOUth Strong Wyoming! Project complete surveys found Here.


Who can participate in SFSW's programs?

Our programs are designed for middle school, junior high, and senior high school students across Wyoming.
We partner with teachers of both traditional and alternative schools to reach a diverse group of students.
We are currently in full swing in middle/jr. high and high schools in Albany, Campbell, Fremont, Laramie, Hot Springs, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sweetwater, Washakie, Weston, and Uinta Counties.
Enrollment typically occurs through students'school enrollment processes for family and consumer science classes, including Early Childhood, Life Skills, or other and/or Health classes for both fall and spring semesters.
Please contact us for more information to find the program near you!


Does SFSW hold any open community activities or education sessions?

In accordance with our grant funding, SFSW's education services are offered directly to youth in classroom settings through partnerships with teachers and schools.
There are, however, opportunities for the community to engage in and participate with SFSW in teaching about healthy relationships. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts of SFSW are active with news about community activities an campaigns dedicated to social causes that impact the family.
Plus! SFSW joins millions in raising awareness of social issues such as, but not limited to domestic violence, teen dating violence, drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, and suicide. Campaign examples include an annual 5K run against bullying and suicide in October, and outreach newsletter addressing Teen Dating Violence with activities in February. Contact us to see how you can get involved!


How can parents support their children in these programs?

Parents can support their children by staying informed about the program content, discussing the topics covered at home, and encouraging open communication.
Each curriculum includes parent and trusted adult connection activities that offer conversation starters on developing and maintaining healthy relationships, as well as choosing partners and friends


Who can I contact for more information?

For more information, please contact us at info@sfsw.org or 307-514-4450. We are happy to answer any additional questions you may have.


Do you accept donations?

Because SFSW is fully funded by grants, we do not accept donations.