PREP: Within Our Reach: For Those Already Trained in PREP/CPREP
Lief Noll, PhD & Lawrence Ramos

All new curriculum from PREP integrates classic PREP strategies with new themes
(e.g., community, stress/relaxation, family background) and methods (hours of new activities). 
Developed for low income couples but applicable to most all.  (NOTE: NOT a Within My Reach training.)

This special two-day training in Within Our Reach is available to anyone who has been previously
trained in PREP or C-PREP either in Smart Marriages Institutes #101 or #102 or in a prior training.
This training qualifies participants to teach WOR in their communities.
WOR trainings are normally four days, so this is designed for those already trained in PREP who want
to be able to learn and use all or parts of the many new themes, strategies, and methods of WOR.  

Within Our Reach is the newest offering from PREP Educational Products, Inc. for couples.  Note
 that this is NOT a training in Within My Reach (which is a curriculum for individuals).  WOR has
been developed based on exhaustive research and efforts to design a curriculum that is optimized for
low income couples, but that clearly useful in elements for other couples as well.  The particular
development of WOR was to meet the criteria and needs of a massive federal research project on
marriage education with low income couples (Supporting Healthy Marriages project of ACF in which
WOR will be one of the central models tested in various sites around the U. S.).  WOR integrates critical
new research on fragile and low-income families, minority couples, and research on stress with elements
of “classic” PREP with a new, strengths-based, highly interactive, and fun educational experiences for
couples.  While classic PREP in a full version is a 12 hour program, WOR includes over 30 hours of
programming, with new themes covered such as stress and relaxation, community connection, family/personal
history, and personality differences.  WOR also includes hours of new group and couple activities
designed to enhance learning and engagement of couples along with traditional skills training.  

Within Our Reach (WOR) 2-Day Instructor Training – Post-Conference Training Institute, covers:
All of the core themes of PREP are represented in Within Our Reach but in new ways and organization
consistent with the very different way that WOR is built compared to PREP.  Themes not covered in
classic PREP include:
•    Emotional safety, physical safety, commitment safety and security
•    Friendship and fun
•    Communication
•    Conflict and Communication Danger Signs, and effects of conflict on children
•    Stress: effects, sources, and how to cope and support one another
•    Personal and family backgrounds, including personality differences (with personality assessment)
and childhood experiences that affect the couple relationship
•    Vision and future planning: couples build roadmap for the path ahead.
•    Community connection, giving, and support
•    Contentment and wellbeing
•    Commitment: decisions and priorities; including strategies for strengthening clarity of commitment
•    Co-parenting: coping with children from prior relationships
•    Step-family dynamics

Curriculum Elements
The teaching components of Within Our Reach have been carefully chosen to keep the pace moving,
keep interest high, build a strong sense of personal relevance and meaning, and reinforce the core
content of the curriculum.  Elements include:

•    Extensive, tested, group activities, and discussions
•    Core lessons to present content, including small video segments to emphasize themes
•    Weekly group check in on use of new skills and concepts
•    Couple activities, discussions, and skills practice

What you can do:
This two-day training qualifies you to conduct WOR in all the different formats that the
modular nature of the program supports (a series of Saturdays and weekends, a series of 16 evening
sessions, or other, briefer variations consistent with your opportunities).

What you will receive:
Participants will receive the Instructor Manual and Participant Manual for WOR.  
Those who complete this two-day institute in Within Our Reach can also purchase, if desired, 
additional WOR instructor and participant resources such as videos, WOR PowerPoint, and relaxation
CD’s for couples. 
 
Spouse discount for training: $100 off for the second spouse when taking the WOR training together. 
With discounted rate, couple receives two copies of the leader manual.

Information about PREP RESOURCES
visit: www.prepinc.com or call 800-366-0166

Register for this Training Institute with Smart Marriages.  On-line registration available in March.

Back to Institutes Page.

Conference Details Page to download a complete conference brochure, hotel information, etc.

Smart Marriages Home Page