Alexandria, Va. – May 8, 2018 – On Teacher Appreciation Day, the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is officially announcing its AAFCS Teacher of the Award winners, including Karen Roberts, family and consumer sciences (FCS) educator, Woodrow Wilson High School, Portsmouth, Virginia, who will be receiving the AAFCS 2018 Teacher of the Year Merit Finalist award.
“Being an FCS teacher is such a rewarding experience because I am helping students prepare for one of the most important roles that they will have as individual – being a contributing member of society who serves their community with dignity, integrity, respect, and love for all people,” said Roberts.
Sponsored by
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher, the Teacher of the Year award recognizes exemplary teachers who utilize cutting-edge methods, techniques, and activities to provide stimulus and visibility to family and consumer sciences in elementary and secondary education. Roberts will be honored at the
AAFCS 109th Annual Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 25 during the Opening General Session.
Roberts’ award-winning family and consumer sciences program, "Nutrition and Wellness: Fostering a Commitment for Sustaining Wellness for Life," is a one-semester elective that equips students with essential tools needed to live a healthy lifestyle. She provides students with an overview of good nutrition principles and steps that can be taken to improve and maintain optimum health. Students engage in activities for sustaining social, emotional, financial, environmental, and physical wellness and gain the capacity to evaluate available sources of wellness information.
Another important component of Roberts’ successful program is students’ participation in service learning projects and activities, which give them hands-on experience and help them develop wellness knowledge and skills. For example, through a partnership with Oasis Social Ministry and Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless, students determine what the greatest need is for the homeless and food insecure in the community and then create a plan to service their needs during the winter shelter months. As part of the service learning, students plan and prepare meals for the homeless as well as volunteer at the food bank.
"Ms. Roberts is an overcomer, a problem-solver, an innovator, and a dynamic leader for the young people under her responsibility," said Patricia Hines, treasurer and co-founder of Westmoreland Children & Youth Association, Inc. “Her straightforward approach, enthusiasm, love, and passion for teaching and her students are evident and make her an extraordinary person.”
About the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)Based in the Washington, D.C., area, AAFCS is the only association for family and consumer sciences students and professionals across multiple practice settings and content areas. For more than 100 years, AAFCS has focused its mission on providing leadership and support for professionals whose work assists individuals, families, and communities in making more informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. AAFCS members provide research-based knowledge about the topics of everyday life to help create healthy and sustainable families. These topics include human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues. AAFCS members are located nationwide, and include educators, administrators and managers, human service and business professionals, researchers, community volunteers, and consultants who develop research-based information and deliver programs on essential skills to help individuals and families be better prepared to live, work, and succeed in today’s complex and diverse world.
Field of Family & Consumer SciencesFamily and consumer sciences (FCS) 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, please contact:
Gwynn Mason
Sr. Director, Communications & Marketing, AAFCS
703-706-4613
gmason@aafcs.org###