Blogs

FCS fit Wellness Wednesday:  Caregiving Changes Relationships Ask anyone who is a caregiver, who has been a caregiver, or who needed a caregiver if caregiving changes relationships, and the answer is a resounding " Yes ." Caregiving changes relationships with our elder because what we are willing to do – or not do – for one another gets tested.  The ways in which you support your loved one will increase. Shared interests and social outlets that bind your relationship together will be more difficult to do together. Here’s an unspoken truth: no one warns you that caregiving impacts ALL your relationships.  Suddenly, you are struggling to find ...

November 15th, 2019 In A Place at the Table , chefs born all around the world share recipes that give them a sense of home—home in their country of origin, and in their communities here in the US. This cookbook, presented by the Vilcek Foundation , which features recipes that range from an easy weeknight meal to a complicated, multi-page cheesecake, explores the experiences of new immigrants and those who've been in the US since they were small children. The Vilcek Foundation, an organization which raises awareness of immigrant contributions in America and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences, has kindly provided a cookbook and totebag as a prize ...

FCS fit   Wellness Wednesday: Healthy for Life® 20 By 20 Initiative Sub-grantees Announced! AAFCS is excited to announce the sub-grantees of the Healthy for Life® 20 By 20 community nutrition program , an initiative led by Aramark and the American Heart Association (AHA) . The purpose of this program is to provide food discovery experiences and nutrition education to community members within five geographically distinct markets.    Please join us as we congratulate our sub-grantees organizations, who will each receive $2,500 to implement four educational experiences over a two to three-month period for an audience of 20-25 participants each time. ...

“Developing Stories that Amplify Our FCS Voice and Impact” and “Enhancing Competence in the Science and Craft of FCS Storytelling” Dr. Nancy Franz, Professor Emeritus Iowa State University School of Education Dr. Nancy Franz gave the keynote at the opening session of the AAFCS Annual Conference and Expo in St. Louis this past June. Recently retired from the Cooperative Extension System, she spent her career researching the conditions that promote transformative learning in nonformal learning environments, and measuring and articulating Extension program quality and value. I had the privilege of hearing the keynote address to kick off the conference, as well ...

FCS fit Wellness Wednesday: Act Now for Free MyPlate Resources Are you looking for MyPlate resources for your organization or classroom?  As a MyPlate Strategic National Partner , AAFCS works with the USDA-FNS Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion ( CNPP ). Resulting from this partnership was our Spring 2019 webinar,  Start Simple with MyPlate: New Resources and Tools . Now, AAFCS is pleased to share this NEW offer from the CNPP. For a limited time, the MyPlate team will mail free color copies of MyPlate Tip Sheets and Posters to AAFCS members.  The resources are packaged in sets of 25 each. Supplies are limited and will be distributed ...

Left to Right: Robert Van Dyke, Director-at-Large; Mia Russell, Director-at-Large; Jackie Ogden, President; Cindy Miller, CFCS, CPFFE, Past President; Lisa Brooks Director-at-Large; Ethel Jones, CFCS, Treasurer; Lizabeth Self Mullens, Director-at-Large; and Carolyn Jackson, CFCS, AAFCS CEO. Alexandria, Va. The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 Board of Directors that were sworn in during the 2019 Annual Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s Jacquelyn Ogden was elected President and Director, School of Human Ecology at Louisiana Tech ...

FCS fit kicks off new Funding Opportunity with National Partners!  AAFCS is excited to announce that it will be a facilitator of the Healthy for Life® 20 By 20 community nutrition program , an initiative led by Aramark and the American Heart Association (AHA) . The purpose of this program is to provide food discovery experiences and nutrition education to community members within five geographically distinct markets.   AAFCS is a known leader in the family & consumer sciences field; as such, our members have demonstrated their commitment to empowering others with the skills needed to live an optimal quality of life and are well-poised to ...

This timely Wellness Wednesday was provided by staff at the National Safety Council . Please read and share widely.  Children in hot cars are dying at an alarming rate. Tragically, more children died in hot cars in the United States in 2018 than any other year on record. Since 1998 , more than 800 children have died in hot cars. These deaths have occurred during all months of the year, and in all but three states in the U.S. Twenty-four percent have occurred in employer parking lots while the parent or caregiver was at work. Parents, caregivers, and Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) teachers can act immediately to end these preventable deaths. ...

FCS fit Wellness Wednesday:  'Cause Givin' is Good for You May is National Foster Care Month , a time to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections.  This is an opportune time to announce the 2019 Student Unit (SU) Service Project , which will take place onsite in St. Louis next month during the 110th Annual Conference & Expo .  The annual Service Project's mission is to help a nonprofit that is based in the conference host city make an even greater impact. This year, ...

AAFCS Recognizes 2019 National Teacher of the Year for Program Teaching Youth Communication and Appropriate Use of Technology Family & Consumer Sciences Prepares Students for College, Careers and Life Alexandria, Va. – Today the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) officially announced Heather Marand Jones, M.Ed., CFCS , Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher and Career & Technical Education Department Chair at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia, as the AAFCS 2019 National Teacher of the Year . Sponsored by Goodheart-Willcox Publisher , the Teacher of the Year award recognizes exemplary ...