The field of Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Education has a recognized role in addressing pressing global challenges through research, education, and extension.
FCS educators work to achieve optimal and sustainable quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. Despite the positive contributions of FCS education, there is an established and growing shortage of family & consumer sciences professionals to serve in educator positions in secondary education, higher education, and Extension education. This shortage increasingly results in educator positions going unfilled or filled by individuals without family & consumer sciences credentials. Shortages of family & consumer sciences educators and those enrolled in family & consumer sciences educator preparation programs can result in program closures. A considerable amount of synergy exists between NIFA goals, and strategic efforts to increase the number of professionals prepared to enter into family & consumer sciences educator roles. NIFA’s Division of Family & Consumer Sciences supports several ongoing efforts to promote educator preparation for the next generation of family & consumer sciences professionals.
Background, Initiatives, and Programs
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences
Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences Education: Filling the Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Pipeline
Say Yes to FCS: Filling the Family & Consumer Sciences Educator Pipeline
Great Plains IDEA: Interactive Distance Education Alliance Family and Consumer Sciences Education
NIFA Education Grant Programs
Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP)
Higher Education Challenge (HEC) Grants Program
Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA)
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (HSI)
Related Associations & Honor Societies
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)
Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), FCS Education Division
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Board on Human Sciences (BoHS)
Council of Administrators of Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS)
Family & Consumer Sciences Education Association (FCSEA)
International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE)
National Association of Teacher Educators for Family and Consumer Sciences (NATEFACS)
National Association of Teachers of Family & Consumer Sciences (NATFACS)
National Coalition for Black Development in Family & Consumer Sciences
Kappa Omicron Nu (KON)
Phi Upsilon Omicron