Alexandria, Va. – August 22, 2018 – The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) honored its New Achiever Award recipients at a ceremony during the recent 109th Annual Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. Among those selected for the prestigious award is Sarah Jill Puddy, family and consumer sciences teacher at Sabish Middle School in Fond du Lac, Wis.
Initiated in 1984, the AAFCS New Achiever Award recognizes emerging professionals who have demonstrated their potential for making significant contributions in family and consumer sciences through their involvement with AAFCS. Award recipients are professionals with three to eight years of service in the field.
In only five years of membership with AAFCS, Puddy has made notable contributions to the association. She has presented multiple times at the Annual Conference & Expo and at the state conference of the Wisconsin Association of Family & Consumer Sciences regarding her creation and administration of the Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers Facebook group. The Facebook group has amassed nearly 12,000 members involved in family and consumer sciences education, extension, family studies, and other areas related to family and consumer sciences. Professionals utilize this resource to network, share ideas, and build a community of support. Tens of thousands of resources have been shared among professionals as a result, and the page has been described as “invaluable” by users.
In Puddy’s most position as a family and consumer sciences teacher at Sabish Middle School, she teaches introductory family and consumer sciences courses to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. In a further demonstration of her dedication to helping others, Puddy is the administrator of Comet’s Closet, an organization that distributes clothing, shoes, and personal hygiene items to low-income students. The award recipient also diligently volunteers in numerous other capacities within her community.
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 Sciences
Family 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
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