Family Science is an exciting field which offers a multitude of career pathways, including Family Life Educator (FLE) and the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential. In this article, I will discuss how, as a Family Life Educator in a university setting, I employ Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of human development (Bronfenbrenner…

The work of Urie Bronfenbrenner is a key framework in Family Science, yet there are many areas where it has seldom been applied, including in the processes experienced by divorcing families in Family Court. Acknowledging the paucity of scholarship applying ecological systems theory to these topics, the paper offers instructive interpretations of…

Many colleges and universities utilize faculty advisors for academic advising. In this model, faculty advise students in their discipline on curriculum requirements, as well as career and academic goals. Faculty often report feeling that they have had little training or support for their role as an academic advisor. Faculty advisors in the field…

Families and community members are challenging secondary schools to improve career readiness preparation. Family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators can be instrumental in helping students prepare effectively for a career with school-to-work transitions through work-based learning (WBL). This article presents the implementation of a 2-day FCS…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators are often tasked with teaching financial literacy to high school students. Many states have adopted financial literacy as a high school graduation course requirement. However, the need for financial literacy does not end in high school. Many parents could benefit from additional financial literacy…

Explicit instruction is a teaching model that demonstrates to students what to do and how to do it. One purpose of ideology is to focus the who, what, when, where, and why of a disciplinary field. Trained home economists make a sustained commitment to the core ideology of home economics. Mechanisms for identifying locally relevant challenges faced…

In response to Stefany J. Grant's Feature/Reflections article, "Integrating Sustainability: Are We Doing Enough?" (EJ1348861), the authors share their insights as leaders and educators in the family and consumer sciences (FCS) field. FCS educators are called to address sustainability through the National Family and Consumer Sciences…

This article provides a historical review of the FCS profession beginning with the Progressive Era and founder Ellen Swallows Richards. The review includes a summary of significant historical events and legislation, that reveal how the FCS profession addressed the needs of individuals, families, and communities from inception to the present. From…

What distinguishes family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers from other teachers in a K-12 setting is the population they teach and the subject matter taught (Poirier et al., 2017). FCS teachers teach students social, emotional, and cognitive skills including cooking, sewing, finance, life/relational skills, and child development. This variety…

In this article, we describe ways to use the television series "Bluey" to examine economic concepts in children's daily lives. We identify and unpack parts of Bluey episodes that might serve as the basis for lessons or discussions with young children. We explain how economic decision-making can have either "market" or…

This feature addresses issues related to family resource management (FRM) by building on two panel presentations given at the 2022 and 2023 Family Economics and Resource Management Association (FERMA) virtual conferences. During the panel discussions, each contributor used their unique perspective to describe changes to the field of FRM and…

In 2022, this journal published our paper titled "Where Visions Meet: Ellen Swallow Richards and Maria Montessori" (McGregor & Ryan-Longo, 2022). As a follow up, we want to share further thoughts on the notion of collaboration between the family and consumer sciences (FCS) profession (also home economics, human ecology, family…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) has a rich history dating back to its origins as home economics. The profession has always been rooted in multiple branches of science including chemistry, biology, sociology, and psychology. The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge (FCS-BOK) unveiled at the turn of the 21st century helped solidify the…

Food insecurity affects 11.1% of households in the United States, leaving many families susceptible to poor diet quality (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2021). Food insecurity, as defined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, can range from a decrease in the quality, variety, or desirability of the diet to disrupted eating patterns and reduced food…

Addressing practical, perennial problems with no discernible solutions (e.g., income insecurity, food insecurity, housing insecurity, health inequality, unsustainability) generates moral fallout--people could be harmed. As a profession, family and consumer sciences/home economics mandates that its practitioners hold deep obligations to the public…