APPENDIX • 337
Copyright 2023 Marline E. Pearson
A deep gratitude is owed to Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, whose brave early work first opened my eyes
to the impact of the erosion of sustainable parental relationships on children’s lives. Her generosity of
time for countless conversations to explore ideas and her practical help in writing is something I am
and will be forever grateful for. My heartfelt thanks go to former director Sarah Brown, Andrea Kane,
and Bill Albert of The National Campaign to Prevent Unplanned Pregnancy (today Power to Decide),
who not only provide people like myself with critical and reliable information for those working with
young people but who also graciously offered their time for discussions, careful reading, and a host of
important suggestions for my work.
Intellectually, I am indebted to those above and many others. The late Sara McLanahan’s research
on fragile families and child wellbeing, as well as Kathy Edin’s and Maria Kafela’s research on low-
income parents, centrally inform my work. Many years ago, Mary Pipher, a wise woman, described
a disturbing contemporary reality for many girls that I strongly sensed as a feminist but was unable
to name until reading her Reviving Ophelia. I hope this curriculum contributes to the North Star that
Pipher believes can help teens navigate a challenging culture.
I am indebted to pioneers of teen relationship programs, such as Char Kamper, who set the standard
for lively relationship programs to emulate. Similarly, Nancy McLaren of the Loving Well Project of
Boston University inspired me with her wisdom and training regarding the power of stories and great
literature to motivate and inspire teens. The work of Geoffrey Canada (Harlem Children’s Zone/Baby
College), Father Greg Boyle (Homeboys Industries), and Roland Warren (former director of National
Fatherhood Initiative) have given me important insights into young males, as well as my own young
male students.
My students at Madison Area Technical College, a two-year community college, played a central
and invaluable role in my thinking over the years by sharing with me their stories, experiences,
aspirations, and also about what they wished they had known earlier. They are the ones who, more
than anything else, convinced me that paying attention to our intimate and romantic relationship lives
is such a critical part of work, school, and personal success. Many of my former students, as well as
young people elsewhere, have provided important insights and feedback that have been important
in the continuing development of my work. They and other young people have written many of the
scenarios for activities and narratives in the curriculum.
My greatest thanks go to my husband and first editor, Rob Kennedy. My best friend and intellectual
soul mate, he shares my passion for social change and has helped me flesh out ideas. He’s always
believed in me and brings out my best. Our mutual investment on the home front has allowed both
of us to pursue parenting and our passions outside the home. And finally, our daughters, Emory and
Lillian, the two loves of my life, have been and remain my ultimate motivation for this project. This
work is dedicated to helping their generation and the ones that follow achieve quality and sustainable
relationships and have a healthier sexual culture.
Copyright 2023 Marline E. Pearson
A deep gratitude is owed to Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, whose brave early work first opened my eyes
to the impact of the erosion of sustainable parental relationships on children’s lives. Her generosity of
time for countless conversations to explore ideas and her practical help in writing is something I am
and will be forever grateful for. My heartfelt thanks go to former director Sarah Brown, Andrea Kane,
and Bill Albert of The National Campaign to Prevent Unplanned Pregnancy (today Power to Decide),
who not only provide people like myself with critical and reliable information for those working with
young people but who also graciously offered their time for discussions, careful reading, and a host of
important suggestions for my work.
Intellectually, I am indebted to those above and many others. The late Sara McLanahan’s research
on fragile families and child wellbeing, as well as Kathy Edin’s and Maria Kafela’s research on low-
income parents, centrally inform my work. Many years ago, Mary Pipher, a wise woman, described
a disturbing contemporary reality for many girls that I strongly sensed as a feminist but was unable
to name until reading her Reviving Ophelia. I hope this curriculum contributes to the North Star that
Pipher believes can help teens navigate a challenging culture.
I am indebted to pioneers of teen relationship programs, such as Char Kamper, who set the standard
for lively relationship programs to emulate. Similarly, Nancy McLaren of the Loving Well Project of
Boston University inspired me with her wisdom and training regarding the power of stories and great
literature to motivate and inspire teens. The work of Geoffrey Canada (Harlem Children’s Zone/Baby
College), Father Greg Boyle (Homeboys Industries), and Roland Warren (former director of National
Fatherhood Initiative) have given me important insights into young males, as well as my own young
male students.
My students at Madison Area Technical College, a two-year community college, played a central
and invaluable role in my thinking over the years by sharing with me their stories, experiences,
aspirations, and also about what they wished they had known earlier. They are the ones who, more
than anything else, convinced me that paying attention to our intimate and romantic relationship lives
is such a critical part of work, school, and personal success. Many of my former students, as well as
young people elsewhere, have provided important insights and feedback that have been important
in the continuing development of my work. They and other young people have written many of the
scenarios for activities and narratives in the curriculum.
My greatest thanks go to my husband and first editor, Rob Kennedy. My best friend and intellectual
soul mate, he shares my passion for social change and has helped me flesh out ideas. He’s always
believed in me and brings out my best. Our mutual investment on the home front has allowed both
of us to pursue parenting and our passions outside the home. And finally, our daughters, Emory and
Lillian, the two loves of my life, have been and remain my ultimate motivation for this project. This
work is dedicated to helping their generation and the ones that follow achieve quality and sustainable
relationships and have a healthier sexual culture.
