May 2013  

Other News & Articles

Journal of Extension Update

Luann Boyer, NEAFCS Representative to JOE Board

The Journal of Extension is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary in 2013.   The first issue of the Journal was published in the spring of 1963.   Originally it was published 4 times a year – spring, summer, fall and winter.  Twelve years later it was expanded to 6 issues; then 10 years later back to 4 issues.   In 1994, the Journal went exclusively to web based and since that time there have been 6 issues each year.  At the most recent Board of Directors meeting in March, a new tag line was approved:  Sharing Knowledge, Enriching Extension. Read more ....

Members-only Webinar
There’s an App for That!: Finding Health and Nutrition Apps to Meet Your Needs (filled)

Carol Turner, PhD, RD, LD
Food & Nutrition Specialist
New Mexico State University Extension

This webinar has filled up at this time, but it will be recorded and posted on the web site shortly, thereafter.  We also anticipate a second date for this for those of you who didn't make the first session.  We'll keep you posted for more information.  Read more about the webinar content ...

Galaxy IV First Timers

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2013 Galaxy IV Annual Session in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, very soon!  If you will attend the conference as a first timer, you will want to be sure and attend the first timer’s webinar on August 16, 2013, at 2:00pm EST.  Save the date!  Read more ...

Living Well Grants-More Than A Cookbook

Gail Brand (NE), Central Region Director

Still need a short summaries of how you are using the cookbook from many of you.  All we need is a short paragraph explaining how your event went. Please send to [email protected].  Read more ....

PILD Recap

Debby Mathews (AL), VP for Public Affairs

With fifty NEAFCS members registered for PILD, we edged out all the other associations for most members present for the 2013 JCEP Public issues Leadership Development Conference. Kudos to NEAFCS! Of those present, eighteen were NEAFCS scholarship recipients. As a scholarship requirement, these members have written brief reports about their PILD experience. You may read the reports in their entirety on our website under the Public Affairs tab.  Read more ....

Why I Give to the NEAFCS Endowment

Patricia L Powley (PA), Life Member

As a Life Member and think back over the thirty-four years that I worked and belonged to NEAFCS, I come to appreciate all of the things that I learned over those years.  There were so many meaningful workshops, committee meetings, and annual sessions where the concepts learned were endless.  This year, I will be attending my forty-third annual session (I only missed one while in graduate school in 1977).  I still learn something new every year as I take in what the family living educators are teaching now.  I still participate on national committees as the opportunity presents itself.  Read more ...

Meet the Board

Peggy Ehlers (IN), Treasurer

I am Peggy Ehlers, your national association treasurer. My husband and I live on our family farm in Southeastern Indiana. Our son, Shawn, is a Purdue graduate and will be getting married this summer. Read more ...

President's Message

NEAFCS Colleagues,

Extension Family and Consumer Sciences has gotten a lot of attention recently! Many are recognizing the invaluable impact that those in our profession contribute to our communities, our states, our nation and our world.

There were 49 NEAFCS representatives at the JCEP sponsored Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference held in April in Alexandria, Virginia – more participants than any other Extension association. They came to meet with the congressional leaders from their states and to increase the awareness of those decision makers about Extension as well as Family and Consumer Sciences.

If you have never had the chance to attend PILD, the conference offers opportunities to hear Extension updates from our federal partners and Extension leaders and time to interact with them. Speakers also address how to effectively convey our Extension story to funders. State teams meet together to apply what they have learned and plan their visits to Capitol Hill. Many states not only have representation from Extension Educators, but also bring volunteers to share how Extension has impacted them.

During the conference this year, Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and our Federal funding partner for Cooperative Extension, shared the USDA outlook with us. I was especially interested in three of the themes that he spoke about. He is concerned that we have lots of people in our country who don’t really know where their food comes from and what role agriculture plays in food production. Those people include decision makers! He talked about the research that shows that if we teach school age children – especially those that receive free or reduced lunch benefits – about the origin of their food, the children will share that information with their families and help them better understand it. FCS Educators across the country are positioned to help with that effort. The SNAP-Ed and EFNEP programs that are delivered by the Cooperative Extension Service in many states already teache that audience and include information about where we get our food.

Dr. Ramaswamy also noted that he wants to put more focus on obesity prevention and health/wellness programs. NEAFCS members certainly have a part to play in those goals, too. Many of our members are teaching programs that impact the health of participants. Debby Matthews, NEAFCS VP Public Affairs, and the Education subcommittee have spent many hours compiling the information that affiliates reported in February into our annual NEAFCS Impact Reports that help document the variety of health and wellness programs that are being offered by our members.

Dr. Ramaswamy also discussed his work with the Department of Education and how he is encouraging them to make Family and Consumer Sciences a required part of public school curriculum. Information taught in FCS programs, both in public schools and in Extension programs, empower citizens to make educated decisions about situations with which they are faced every day of their lives.

Family and Consumer Sciences has had a long history of helping individuals attain the knowledge and skills needed to meet challenges of daily living. FCS professionals continue to provide expertise that helps people become better citizens who make up healthier communities.

Thanks for all you do to promote healthy people, healthy finances and healthy relationships!

Until next time,

Carol