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Home Economics Education

Nancy Mary Lewis

Enhancing the Past
Improving the Future

Home economics education prepares students for personal and family life across the life span as they manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse, global society. The program focus is on families, work, and their interrelationships. Home economics education prepares students for family life, work life, and career by providing opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed for:

- Strengthening the well-being of individuals and families across the life span.
- Becoming responsible citizens and leaders in family, community, and work setting.
- Promoting optimal nutrition and wellness across the life span.
- Managing resources to meet the material needs of individuals and families.
- Balancing personal, home, family, and work lives.
- Using critical and creative thinking skills to address problems in diverse family, community, and work environments.
- Successful life management, employment, and career development.
- Functioning effectively as providers and consumers of goods and services.
- Obtaining entry level positions (providing the foundation for further training/education and advancement) in home economics careers and other related careers.
- Appreciating human worth and accepting responsibility for one’s actions and success in family and work life.

The home economics education program consists of courses that, through local planning and decision making, can be offered in combinations and sequences to meet the above objectives. As an integral part of the total home economics education program, multicultural education, leadership development, integration and application of academic skills, and problem solving will be emphasized in all courses. Home economics education is a program that utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to bring together the concepts and skills across the curriculum spectrum to improve individual, family, community, and work lives.

COURSE OFFERINGS

Personal and Family Development
Grade Placement: 9-12
Home Economics Foundations, High School
Prerequisite: None Credit: 1

Management

Grade Placement: 10-12
Consumer and Resource Management,
Prerequisite: None
High School Credit: 1/2

This technical course encompasses material on the management process, management of resources, managing multiple roles within the life span, and career options and preparation. Content stresses knowledge and skills related to decision-making, problem-solving, and goal-setting as management tools. Also addressed are effective practices for managing a wide range of resources including time, energy, environmental, and financial resources as well as technology, community, and human resources.

Apparel
Grade Placement: 10-12
Textiles and Apparel, High School
Prerequisite: None Credit: 1/2

This technical laboratory course focuses on apparel from the perspectives of personal decision making related to apparel, the apparel industry, and career preparation. Topics include managing the apparel dollar, apparel repair and alteration, and wardrobe planning, care, and maintenance. Quality apparel construction is addressed as it relates to consumer decision making and career preparation for the apparel industry. Other content addresses career options and management practices for assuming multiple family, community, and wage-earner roles.

Family Health Needs

Grade Placement: 10-12
Family Studies and Human Services, High School
Prerequisite: None Credit: 1/2

This technical course focuses on health and wellness of family members, and career preparation. Promoting good health and wellness for family members across the life span is examined through dietary practices, stress management, home sanitation, and environmental and safety hazard prevention in the home. Laws and legal issues affecting families and their health, managing multiple adult roles, and family health care resources, services, and costs meeting requirements of older family members and family members with special health needs are other topics addressed.

Nutrition and Food Service
Grade Placement: 10-12
Nutrition and Wellness,
Prerequisite: None Food Science and Technology;
High School Credit: 1/2

This technical laboratory course concentrates on nutrition, food choices, and food management skills for individuals and the family throughout the life cycle. Instruction addresses nutrition and food science from the perspective of food habits and wellness, menu planning, special dietary needs, food costs and budgeting, consumer food-buying strategies, food safety and sanitation procedures, food labels, technology implications, and food handling, storage, and preparation practices. Meal etiquette, career options, and techniques for managing multiple family, and community, and wage-earner roles are part of the content.