Family and Consumer Sciences Education is a program for youth and adults which addresses perennial concerns of personal and family living. Knowledge alone is insufficient for addressing these concerns. To function effectively, students must also learn to think critically and employ ethical principles in making reasoned decisions.



    Our unique focus is the relationship between family and work. Our students gain an understanding of the significance of the family in the development of the individual and society—and make reasoned decisions about the perennial problems we all face.



    Family and Consumer Sciences education prepares Maryland's youth with the skills and knowledge they need to manage their own lives as well as their work responsibilities. We offer comprehensive, integrated and experience-based programs that are up-to-date and relevant. The knowledge and competence they acquire assists them with critical thinking, problem solving, reasoned decision making, interpersonal skills, and citizenship and leadership.



    A series of 16 national standards are prescribed for the students in this program. They integrate knowledge with a variety of skills and practices that provide the students with directions for the future. These standards include:

• Career, community and family connections
• Consumer and family resources
• Consumer services
• Early childhood, education and services
• Food production services
• Hospitality, tourism and recreation
• Housing interiors and furnishings
• Interpersonal relationships
• Nutrition and wellness

    Likewise, standards issued by the Maryland State Department of Education are prescribed which describe what students should be able to do, think, and feel as a result of the family and consumer sciences experience. These include:

• Career exploration
• Use of technology
• Problem solving
• Nature, impact and dynamics of relationships
• Interdisciplinary connections
• Diverse populations
• Family and Consumer Sciences content

    In today's fast-changing world, the traditional "home ec" curriculum has morphed into a contemporary, gender-neutral curriculum that reflects society. Changes in technology, family structure and economic conditions prompted a more flexible program. "Family and Consumer Sciences" describes an evolving curriculum with a focus on broader family and societal issues, returning to its scientific roots.



    Families, to a great extent, determine who a person is and what a person becomes. The family is the basis of communities and society and the primary focus of Family and Consumer Sciences education. This education prepares youth and adults for competence in the work of the family and for careers based on family and consumer sciences skills. The concept of work, whether in a family or job setting, is central to career and technology students.