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Family & Consumer Sciences Day is a national celebration that educates families about the importance of preparing healthy meals and “dining in” together. In recognition of the Morgan State University Department of Family and Consumer Sciences’ celebration of this second annual event, Maryland Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. issued an official proclamation appointing Dec. 3, 2015 as Family & Consumer Sciences Day. In honor of the occasion, the department held a special presentation and luncheon attended by faculty, students and other invited guests. After the event, attendees were encouraged to take a positive message back to the communities and institutions where they serve, regarding the importance of healthy meals and family dining.
The event’s theme, “Dining In for Healthy Families,” coincides with a national movement to address the obesity epidemic, which has had a bigger impact on children and teens because of their unhealthy eating and lack of knowledge about food preparation. The theme also speaks to research showing that families benefit from having meals together, by having better nutrition, improving family communication, fostering family traditions and learning other life skills such as meal planning, budgeting and food preparation.
Dec. 3 was selected by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences as the date for Family & Consumer Sciences Day, to celebrate the birthday of the association’s founder, Ellen Swallow Richards, who was the first woman graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Richards is also featured in Baltimore’s Museum of Industry for her work as a noted chemist and sanitary engineer. Family & Consumer Sciences Day provides an opportunity to promote family and consumer sciences programs and tools as well as the field’s professionals who support family mealtime.
Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), formerly known as Home Economics, was established at Morgan in 1933. The field draws from diverse disciplines to develop and provide content and programs that help individuals become more effective critical thinkers and problem solvers. Through discovery and delivery of research-based knowledge, FCS professionals help individuals and families develop essential skills to live and work successfully in a complex world. Professionals in the field are uniquely qualified to speak on many critical issues affecting individuals and families, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, wisely managing personal and family finances and creating supportive relationships with family members, friends and coworkers. FCS professionals are located nationwide in a variety of practice settings, including secondary schools, universities, government agencies and businesses.
