family and consumer sciences

Celebrate National FCS Day

February 14, 2024, is the day we celebrate National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day, a celebration that showcases the value and importance of family and consumer sciences education and its educators. The Live Healthy Live Well team at the Ohio State University Extension wants to enlist your help in spreading the word about the positive impact of Family and Consumer Sciences profession -The People-Centered Sciences.

What can you do –

Why Should We Celebrate NOW –

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) is a diverse and vital field that plays a crucial role in preparing students for real-world challenges across a variety of workplace settings. FCS utilizes research, experiential education, and technology to teach students the essential knowledge and skills to:

  • lead better lives,
  • be work and career-ready,
  • build strong families,
  • make meaningful contributions to our communities.

Think about the saying “You can’t build a strong house on a weak foundation”

Let’s build a strong foundation for Family Living by Proclaiming, Exploring and Honoring FCS programming and educators.

Written by: Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Clermont County, jenkins.188@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Mahoning County, Stefura.2@osu.edu

References:

  1. American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences https://www.aafcs.org/home
  2. Advance CTE
    https://careertech.org/what-we-do/career-clusters/
  3. Say Yes to FCS video
      https://youtu.be/Kya5u4KE72g?si=WhWXZzqxgG-sXUGV

Prioritizing the Work of the Family 2023 & Beyond

Work and family teaching resources from the 1970s: a "Safety in the Kitchen" guide

Photo shows work and family teaching resources from the 1970s. It always helps to “look backward to look forward”.

Earlier this summer I attended the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) 114th Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.  The four-day conference is a national exhibition convened by FCS professionals to explore the field of study focused on the science and the art of living and working well in our complex world. WOW! What an important profession.

I attended a session at the conference titled “From Home Economics to Home Equity – How Education Can Help Close the Chore Gap’ presented by Elizabeth Kinney, Senior Director Communications, Proctor & Gamble (P&G).  Her presentation included consumer research conducted by P&G Home Care brands during the pandemic that resulted in an educational initiative titled Home Eq[uity].  Elizabeth also provided copies of the book titled Fair Play by Eve Rodsky to further support our understanding of the topic. 

Now for the real purpose of this posting. How do you and your family prioritize the work of your family now and into the future?  As I read the book, I shared my learning and thoughts with my coworkers. The discussion started amongst two of us and has spread throughout the office and beyond into our families. 

I realized that this experiential learning might benefit other individuals and families as we all are challenged by changing family dynamics as we live and work in our complex world.

Let’s launch our own Live Healthy Live Well campaign to explore the Work of the Family and specifically your family.  Follow these steps-

  • Identify the daily tasks that are required to meet your needs and wants.
  • Identify who is completing these tasks currently.
  • Reflect back on the task list and who is completing the tasks.
  • Record what you discovered and your feelings about what you learned.
  • Identify what needs changed and what should stay the same.
  • Plan for sharing with other adult family members.
  • Identify what you have learned about the Work of Your Family.

It is time to share back through the Live Healthy Live Well blog what you have discovered about your family and the work they do. I look forward to reporting back the results of our local Live Healthy Live Well campaign to – Prioritize the Work of the Family now and into the future.

Written by: Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Clermont County

Reviewed by: Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Mahoning County

References:

  1. American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences https://www.aafcs.org/home
  2. Home Equity  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230124005045/en/From-Home-Ec-to-Home-Eq-uity-PGs-Dawn-Swiffer-brands-partner-with-Hello-Sunshines-Fair-Play-to-Help-Close-the-Chore-Gap-with-New-Curriculum
  3. Fair Play https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fair_Play/cV6IDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover

From Home Economics to Family and Consumer Sciences

A family of four

Today, as Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Educators, often we are asked what is FCS?   FCS was originally called Home Economics, a study of how to manage a household and its resources efficiently and sustainably. In the 1990’s Home Economics was rebranded to Family and Consumers Sciences which includes  the comprehensive skills, research and knowledge that helps people make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life.  FCS is the only profession that integrates knowledge from the basic disciplines of science, humanities, and the arts.  It also integrates math, reading, communication and organizational skills, and work readiness in each area of study. 

Today’s FCS professionals practice in multiple settings. Academic education in early childhood, elementary, secondary, and higher education.  Community education for adults and youth includes Extension programs, business and industry, government,  and health and human services who address the issues most important to our quality of life.

The value of FCS through education and technology includes the essential knowledge and skills to:

  • Lead better lives.
  • Build strong families.
  • Be work and community ready.
  • Make meaningful contributions to our communities.

Content areas of FCS include:

  • Education and training.
  • Culinary arts, hospitality, and tourism.
  • Food science and nutrition.
  • Health management and wellness.
  • Housing and interior design.
  • Human/child development and family relations.
  • Personal and family finance.
  • Textiles, apparel and retail.
  • Sustainable practices, consumerism, and leadership.

Live Healthy, Live Well Blog is written by a group of FCS professionals addressing the FCS mission of living and working well in our world today.  Our goal is to be effective and make a difference in people’s lives.  In October 2023, the Ohio Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is hosting their annual conference in Columbus, Ohio.  We invite you to learn more about Ohio FCS and join us for this conference.

Here is the link for more information:  https://www.oafcs.org/

 Written by:  Beth Stefura, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.edu

Reviewed by: Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Family and Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Clermont County, jenkins.188@osu.edu

References:

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences https://www.aafcs.org/home

Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension Home | Family and Consumer Sciences (osu.edu)

USDA, National Institutes of Food and Agriculture Division of Family & Consumer Sciences | National Institute of Food and Agriculture (usda.gov)