(Alexandria, Va. – June 18, 2009) — During the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 100th Annual Conference, Celebrating the Past, Sustaining the Future, in Knoxville, Tennessee, June 25 - 27, 2009, experts in personal finance, health and nutrition, resource management, apparel and textiles, housing, and other areas of family and consumer sciences (FCS) will present strategies to help individuals, families, and communities sustain and improve their quality of life without having a negative impact on the environment. Attendees will also participate in numerous AAFCS Centennial activities and honor outstanding members, students, and FCS organizations at special events, such as the Teacher of the Year Award Luncheon, sponsored by Goodheart-Willcox Publisher.

More than 1,000 professionals and students in FCS and allied fields from across the U.S. will convene at the Knoxville Convention Center and Hilton Knoxville for the AAFCS Centennial conference. The meeting will feature well-known sustainability experts and a range of educational sessions on theme-related topics, from “going green” in the classroom to addressing fashion counterfeit.

Doris Christopher, The Pampered Chef® founder and chairman, will keynote the Opening General Session on June 25th with “Sustaining Families—Mealtimes Matter.” During the Second General Session on Friday, June 26th, conference participants will learn from Sharon Y. Nickols, Ph.D., Janette M. Barber Distinguished Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics Department, The University of Georgia, and past president, AAFCS, and five other FCS experts, during “Sustaining Family and Consumer Sciences: Globally and Locally.” This presentation is part of a Super Seminar series that includes “Reflecting on a Century of AAFCS and IFHE” and “Sustaining the Future of FCS Through the Millennials.” On Saturday, June 27th at the Third General Session, Martin Wolf, director, Product Sustainability & Authenticity, Seventh Generation, Inc.; Betty Scott, manager, Consumer Information Center, Dial Division of Henkel NA; and Nancy Bock, vice president, education, The Soap and Detergent Association will present “Protecting Future Generations,” sponsored by The Soap and Detergent Association.

In honor of the Centennial, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the oral history project “Recalling Our Calling: Record Your Remarkable FCS Memories,” a Centennial Reunion Reception, and a grand Centennial Celebration, as well as honor winners of the “Second Century of Helping” community service project and recognize past AAFCS awardees.

With more than 40 exhibitors in the Expo, conference participants can learn first-hand about the newest FCS products and services at the exhibit booths and exhibitor learning labs. As a special note, 10 of AAFCS’ exhibitors have exhibited for at least 20 years. The Expo also offers student and professional research poster sessions and affiliate Centennial displays.

Founded in 1909 by Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman graduate and professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AAFCS is the only national not-for-profit organization that provides leadership and support to FCS students and professionals across multiple practice settings. FCS professionals help individuals, families, and communities make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. AAFCS’ 6,000+ members are elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators, researchers, and administrators; Cooperative Extension educators; and other professionals in business and industry, not-for-profit organizations, and government. These professionals provide research and applied knowledge in the areas of personal finance, child development and parenting, consumer education, housing and environment, apparel and textiles, and health and nutrition. With national headquarters based in Alexandria, Va., AAFCS has 52 affiliates located across the United States and Puerto Rico.

For more information, contact Gwynn Mason at 703-706-4600, ext. 4621, 703-859-8235, or gmason@aafcs.org.