Family and Consumer Sciences
Education Campaign for Support
The Academic Program
The Family and Consumer Sciences Education (FCS Ed) program, formerly home economics education, was established in 1906. Current living alumni total about 2300. Graduates work primarily in educational programs in public schools, extension, community agencies, and in higher education. Current and former faculty focused teacher preparation programming on current and critical issues of the day. Graduates, in turn, aimed their instruction at helping students and others become astute problem solvers, wise managers of family and community resources, caring family members, and leaders in their local and global communities. Ohio State’s goal is to enroll 70 students in the interdisciplinary Family and Consumer Sciences program in the College of Education and Human Ecology.
The Need
The need for continued teacher preparation in family and consumer sciences education is critical. Almost 1000 Ohio FCS Ed teachers will be eligible to retire by 2015. Current state estimates indicate that about 90 new teachers will be needed per year whereas about 30 graduates are annually exiting FCS Ed programs in Ohio. FCS Ed enrollment in grades 7 through 12 in Ohio is healthy and growing from 215,000 to 220,000 from 1997 to 2002 and Ohio curriculum standards require that all school districts offer family and consumer sciences content. Ohio State has made a renewed commitment to making this program strong again.
The Program
FCS Ed programs in schools address critical societal issues and help students learn to make good decisions about nutrition, managing resources, and developing strong interpersonal skills. FCS Ed teachers often serve students who are lacking opportunities to learn this knowledge and these skills in their daily lives. FCS Ed programs address teen pregnancy and other relevant issues, and help students make crucial decisions about personal, family, and community issues and problems.
The Goal
A goal has been set to raise funds that will provide support for the new FCS Ed program beyond the minimum needed to sustain it. These funds will help the program regain and surpass the high standard of excellence it held in previous decades. The tentative goal is to raise $1,000,000 in endowed funds and $200,000 for current use.
Fund Raising Goals
Goal for Endowed Funds:
$1,000,000
Goal for Current Use:
$200,000
Cash and Pledges to Date (2-4-04):
$120,000
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