The Maine Association of Family & Consumer Sciences of Damariscotta will celebrate National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day 2021 on Wednesday, Feb. 10. This celebration showcases the value and importance of family and consumer sciences education and its educators. The association’s education takes place throughout all 16 of Maine’s counties in a variety of public and private grammar, middle and high schools, college, university and community settings across all generations.

“National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day is one way to pay tribute to the positive impact that family and consumer sciences educators have on individuals, families, and communities every day,” said Stephanie Knight, MAFCS Board member, according to a news release from the association. On Feb. 10, the association will thank its educators and supporters throughout the State of Maine including those who teach its principles at public and private schools, through the UMaine Cooperative Extension, local businesses, community and youth organizations such as FARMS, 4-H, Family, Careers, and Community Leaders of America, as well as in grocery store and healthcare settings.

Nationwide in secondary education alone, more than 27,000 family and consumer sciences educators are teaching more than 3 million students personal development and career preparation skills in critical areas, such as nutrition and wellness, healthy food preparation, child and family development, environmental design, consumer decision making, and personal finance. A recent example of the power of association educators comes from Vermonter Jen Ellis who made Bernie Sander’s inauguration mittens. Ellis’ credits her South Portland High School association educator, Jeannette Collett with giving her the skills she used to create the now, internationally famous mittens.

Family and consumer sciences educators also work within the cooperative extension system, through the nation’s land-grant universities. Extension educators bring family and consumer sciences research and education programs for both youth and adults to local communities. Locally UMaine’s Cooperative Extension’s food preservation workshops teach community members the basics of canning and freezing, including how to use pressure canners and water bath canners to preserve pickles, jam, and vegetables. Nutrition workshops deliver cost-effective tips for using local foods in a healthy way.

In higher education, family and consumer sciences teacher educators prepare the next generation of family and consumer sciences educators who work in a variety of practice settings, including secondary education and Cooperative Extension. There are currently more than 100 family and consumer sciences teacher preparation programs in the U.S.

While family and consumer sciences secondary education, extension, and university teacher preparation programs are strong, all have identified a current and potentially more severe future shortage of qualified educators to meet their needs. National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day is part of the “Say Yes to FCS” educator recruitment initiative to help meet the need for family and consumer sciences educators. Requirements for becoming certified as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher in Maine can be found at maine.gov.

With a critical need for family and consumer sciences educators, those who are pursuing an education degree may want to consider choosing family and consumer sciences, a career with a very positive employment outlook. In family and consumer sciences secondary education, researchers indicated the need for educators per state and have represented key findings in this infographic. Especially on National Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Day, visit fcsed.net to learn more about a rewarding career as a family and consumer sciences educator.

To learn more about FCS in Maine, email to MaineAFCS@outlook.com.

 

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