Research
ARC curricula are research-based and have been utilized by the U.S. military, including the Army, Air Force, Air National Guard, Army Reserves and Navy. They have also been used in federal grant projects for Head Start, Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, and in federal projects for refugees and immigrants. Christian programs are utilized in faith communities and in incarceration and re-entry settings. Programs are also used in police academies and for professionals in business. Schools have utilized youth and parent programs with high acclaim. Spanish-language programs are utilized nation-wide and the ARC federal Hispanic Active Relationships Project achieved status as top 12 in the nation for “Promising Practices” in the field.
Military Research
In 2008 in the Social Work and Christianity Journal (Vol. 35, Number 3), an evaluation of Active Relationships Center’s Active Military Life Skills, an earlier version of Active Military Life and Resiliency Skills, was published on research conducted on 25 Air Force couples by Baylor University. Results showed statistically significant positive changes in participants in the areas of marital satisfaction, positive communication, conflict resolution, commitment to present relationship, and a decrease in negative interaction.
The research included in this publication can be reviewed in the 2006 Final Report. Download below.
For more information or to order a copy of the journal, please visit nacsw.org
Spanish-Language Research
Pilot Program
The initial research on the HARP project examined pre and post test surveys from participants who attended an Active Communication class in one of eight locations across the state of Texas. Eighty percent of participants were of Hispanic descent, while sixty-three percent had Spanish as their first language.
Hispanic Active Relationships Project Case study
National Healthy Marriage Resource Center featured HARP in a case study analysis regarding marketing and outreach in Hispanic Communities.
Hispanic Active Relationships Project In Family Science Review
Baylor University reports findings on the effectiveness of Active Communication during HARP workshops.
Hispanic Active Relationships Project (HARP)
The goal of the Hispanic Active Relationships Project (HARP) was to improve relationship skills and knowledge for couples, youth and singles in Cameron County, TX through workshops and events. Workshop participants came from a wide variety of education and income levels. During the five-year project, 5,800 people attended more than 300 Active Communication, Active Money Personalities, Active Romance and Intimacy and Active Relationships for Young Adults workshops. The research showed statistically significant changes for couples on all measures and the majority of measures for youth and singles, meaning these groups all developed a more meaningful understanding of the attitudes and skills that healthy, long-lasting relationships require. Through these workshops, 189 facilitators (leaders) were trained to continue to help build positive and strong relationships for others in the community.
HARP Research Project Year 3
HARP Research Project Year 4
Teen Pregnancy Research
Teen pregnancy is a serious issue facing today’s youth. Our programs teach abstinence and wise choices to help curb this growing problem.
Life can be difficult, especially for teenagers. At that age, most people are just beginning to learn how to take care of themselves. It is not the age someone should have to worry about taking care of a child. Our programs for youth and young adults help teenagers better understand life and how to exercise control and make wise choices.
Active Relationships has been providing classes for adolescents, including teen pregnancy prevention, throughout the U.S., including through various YWCA locations and in charter public schools. Active Relationships for Young Adults (ARYA) consists of 12 lessons that educate teens to make wise choices, leading to increased opportunities for future success through teen pregnancy prevention and focus on career goals.
Specifically, ARYA has shown dramatic teen pregnancy prevention effects in two Texas communities being served in a Community-Based Abstinence Education grant to the Medical Institute for Sexual Health. Based on two years of data (2007-08 and 2008-09), there has been a 30% decrease in teen pregnancies in the Fabens Independent School District and a 25% decline in the San Elizaro School District, both in El Paso County. The Fabens ISD teen birth rate declined from 100 per 1000 teen girls in 2006-07 to 47 per 1,000 in 2008-09, while the San Elizaro ISD teen birth rate declined from 123 per 1,000 to 108 per 1000 during the same period. As compared to the pre-tests on the ARYA curriculum, there were significant changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, intent, and self-efficacy to remain abstinent among the students who participated in the program and completed the pre-test and post-test surveys. Responses were received from 829 high school students in 2007-08 and 908 students in 2008-09. Additional documentation regarding this study will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Research

Published in 2009 by the Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Family Assistance, a review of select grantees, “Emerging Findings from the Office of Family Assistance Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Grant Programs: A Review of Select Grantee Profiles and Promising Results,” focused on the Hispanic Active Relationships Project (HARP) of Cameron County, Texas. HARP offers programs in both English and Spanish, serves over 1,000 Hispanic families per year through peer mentoring for couples and weekend retreats, and emphasizes the importance of marriage education and the development of healthy relationship skills. For more information, please review the PDF article.
Head Start Research
The TLC: Building Healthy Relationship Program, a program of Holyoke/Chicopee/Springfield Head Start, Inc. has been using the Active Relationship Curriculum in its Head Start Healthy Marriage Program since March of 2007. The TLC Program provides services to its Early Head Start, Head Start, Migrant Head Start, and Community partners. Twelve staff completed 3 day training with the author of Active Relationships, Kelly Simpson, in January of 2007. Since completing that training, 13 more staff have been trained through the out of the box certification kit. TLC has graduated over 260 participants in the Active Relationship workshops, which include teen parents, couples, and individuals. Currently the TLC program is running eight groups utilizing the Active Relationship Curriculum. TLC has used the Active Relationships for Young Adult Curriculum as well as the Active Adult Curriculum in English and in Spanish. TLC’s participants report gaining knowledge of communication skills, money management skills, and anger management skills. Overall, TLC has have had great feedback and tremendous success with adapting the curriculum to meet the individual needs of all of its programs.
Youth Research
Hispanic Active Relationships Project – Active Relationships for Young Adults Research
Dr. Preston M. Dyer and Dr. Kim Kotrla
Baylor University, School of Social Work
Waco, Texas
Research Overview
Over three years, Baylor University collected data from 353 young adults, 286 of which were included in data analysis. Participants ranged from 14 to 21 years old.
Thirteen items consistently demonstrated significant change each year. These items are:
Active Relationships for Young Adults Pilot Research
Amanda Weatherby, M. A.
Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology
Pasadena, California
Research Overview
159 young adults participated in the the pilot research for Active Relationships for Young Adults curriculum. Participants ranged from 10 to 19 years old.
Findings showed that:
Journal of Christian and Social Work
Family Science Review
Baylor University and Team
Baylor University was selected to research ARC curricula based upon its dedication to the field of research. Being identified as one of the most productive universities for research in the nation, Baylor has continued to further academic knowledge in several areas, including social work, family wellness, and relationship/marriage education. Through the Department of Social Work, Dr. Preston Dyer and Dr. Kim Kotrla, co-researched ARC curricula and conducted follow-up research on the Hispanic Active Relationships Project marriage education and youth programs in Brownsville, Texas. Both Dr. Dyer and Dr. Kotrla share a passion for families and the development of healthy marriage education. For more information, please visit www.baylor.edu