On Feb. 10, the Maine Association of Family Consumer Sciences (MAFCS) will celebrate National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day 2021. This celebration showcases the value and importance of family and consumer sciences education and its educators. FCS education takes place throughout all 16 of Maine’s counties in a variety of public and private grammar, middle and high schools, college, university and community settings across all generations.

“National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day is one way to pay tribute to the positive impact that family and consumer sciences educators have on individuals, families, and communities every day,” notes Stephanie Knight, MAFCS board member. On Feb. 10 MAFCS will be thanking FSC educators and supporters throughout the State of Maine including those who teach FCS principles at public and private schools, through the UMaine Cooperative Extension, local businesses, community and youth organizations such as FARMS, 4-H, Family, Careers, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA),as well as in grocery store and healthcare settings.

Nationwide in secondary education alone, more than 27,000 family and consumer sciences educators are teaching more than 3 million students personal development and career preparation skills in critical areas, such as nutrition and wellness, healthy food preparation, child and family development, environmental design, consumer decision making, and personal finance. A recent example of the power of FCCS Educators comes from Vermonter Jen Ellis who made Bernie Sander’s inauguration mittens. Jen credits her South Portland High School FCCS educator, Jeannette Collett with giving her the skills she used to create the now, internationally famous mittens.

Family and consumer sciences educators also work within the Cooperative Extension system, through the nation’s land-grant universities. Extension educators bring family and consumer sciences research and education programs for both youth and adults to local communities. Locally UMaine’s Cooperative Extension’s food preservation workshops teach community members the basics of canning and freezing, including how to use pressure canners and water bath canners to preserve pickles, jam, and vegetables. Nutrition workshops deliver cost-effective tips for using local foods in a healthy way.

In higher education, family and consumer sciences teacher educators prepare the next generation of family and consumer sciences educators who work in a variety of practice settings, including secondary education and Cooperative Extension. There are currently more than 100 family and consumer sciences teacher preparation programs in the U.S. 

While family and consumer sciences secondary education, Extension, and university teacher preparation programs are strong, all have identified a current and potentially more severe future shortage of qualified educators to meet their needs. National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day is part of the “Say Yes to FCS” educator recruitment initiative to help meet the need for family and consumer sciences educators.  Requirements for becoming certified as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher in Maine can be found at https://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/requirements

With a critical need for family and consumer sciences educators, those who are pursuing an education degree may want to consider choosing family and consumer sciences, a career with a very positive employment outlook. In family and consumer sciences secondary education, researchers indicated the need for educators per state and have represented key findings in this infographic. Especially on National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day, visit www.fcsed.net to learn more about a rewarding career as a family and consumer sciences educator! To learn more about FCFS in Maine send an email to: MaineAFCS@outlook.com

Field of Family & Consumer Sciences

Family and consumer sciences (FCS), founded as home economics, draws from broad and diverse disciplines to develop and provide content and programs that help individuals become more effective critical thinkers and problem solvers.  Through discovery and delivery of research-based knowledge, FCS professionals help individuals and families develop essential skills to successfully live and work in a complex world. Professionals in the field are uniquely qualified to speak on many critical issues affecting individuals and families, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, wisely managing personal and family finances, and creating supportive relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers. They are located nationwide in a variety of practice settings, including secondary schools, universities, government agencies, and businesses.

For more information, visit www.fcsed.net