Alexandria, Va. – August 23, 2018 – Joan Koonce, CPFFE, faculty member and financial planning specialist in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia, was honored with the Excellence in Extension Grant at the recent American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 109th Annual Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Ga. The purpose of the Excellence in Extension Grant is to provide seed money for programs designed to enhance the well-being of families, support the efforts of AAFCS, and expand the Cooperative Extension program efforts.
In Koonce’s current role, she trains local extension agents and is the leader of “Improving Household Finances of Rural Households through Virtual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).” This project seeks to provide free tax preparation and e-file services to rural communities, save taxpayers money by providing free tax preparation services and refund anticipation loan fees, encourage taxpayers to save a portion of their refunds, and provide tax and other financial information and resources to these individuals. Along with Extension agents in Georgia, Koonce will advertise the program in local communities and match interested participants with undergraduate students enrolled in financial degree programs. These students, under the supervision of faculty and graduate students, will complete the tax returns, and Skype with the taxpayers from a virtual location. The funding from this grant will be used by Koonce to continue and expand the Virtual VITA program into all Georgia districts during the 2019 tax season. Virtual VITA will continue to provide an avenue to offer income tax assistance and planning along with other financial education and resources to adults in rural communities.
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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