Family and Consumer Sciences Vision Statement: Family and Consumer Sciences empower individuals and families across the life span to manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse global society. Our unique focus is on families, work, and their interrelationships.

The mission of Family and Consumer Sciences Education is to prepare students for family life, work-life, and careers in Family and Consumer Sciences by providing opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed for success, including:

  • Strengthening the well-being of individuals and families across the life span.
  • Becoming responsible citizens and leaders in family, community, and work settings.
  • 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.
  • Managing life, employment, and careers successfully.
  • Functioning effectively as providers and consumers of goods and services.
  • Appreciating human worth and accepting responsibility for one's actions and success in family and work life.


 

Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) programs can be found in over 100 Montana high schools.

FCS programs have the unique focus of preparing students for work and personal life by focusing on essential life skills including broad, transferable skills for employment and personal life as well as job-specific knowledge and skills in careers related to early childhood development, education & training, social and human services, culinary arts, foods and nutrition, food production and management, hospitality and tourism, clothing and textiles, interior design, and entrepreneurship.

 

FCS programs can also be found in middle schools across the state.

The National Standards for FCS can be found at leadfcsed.org.

 

For more information about Family & Consumer Sciences please contact:
 

Gayla Randel
OPI - Family & Consumer Sciences
Education Specialist

Phone: (406) 431-2117

Whitney Whittecar
Montana Family, Career & Community Leaders of America
State Director


Phone: (406) 229-2017

 

Framework for Family & Consumer Sciences in CTE

Click the image below to explore FCS!

 

The Framework for Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) in Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides a tool for developing high-quality FCS programs of study. It is designed to help local and state CTE administrators leverage their FCS programs to support students preparation for high-skill, high-wage, and/or in-demand careers and meet local economic and workforce demands for talent.  FCS educators can also use the Framework to support their program and instructional planning to enhance the relevancy of their FCS programs.
 

Career pathways and clusters
The career pathways and clusters suggested in the framework were identified through a national survey of FCS State Administrators about which clusters and pathways were supported through their CTE state leadership initiatives. Courses aligned to these pathways can facilitate CTE concentrators in programs of study that meet workforce and economic needs.  

CTE administrators should use local, regional, and state workforce demand data to guide decisions about which FCS programs can be leveraged to meet both student interest and workforce demand. But as you can see within the Framework, the opportunities to leverage FCS can be tailored to a CTE program’s needs.


Explore Career Pathways in Montana secondary and post-secondary education


Montana Career Pathways - Secondary programs of study
Montana Career Pathways - Post-Secondary programs of study

 

Family, Community & Career Leaders of America (FCCLA)
 

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) serves as the Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for Family & Consumer Sciences Education, providing teachers and students with valuable experiences to develop and refine skills in Hospitality & Tourism, Visual Arts & Design, Education & Training, and Human Services.


FCCLA provides opportunities for students to develop leadership and employability skills that enhance students’ understanding of community, work, family, and their interrelationships.



FCCLA - Aligned to Career Pathways

FCCLA is unique it that it offers programs, resources, professional development, and student experiences that support all pathways supported by the field of Family & Consumer Sciences. Imbedding FCCLA in a school's FCS department means that students across all pathway programs can benefit from their involvement while promoting the efficient use of resources and more effectively meeting the educational institution's goals.

Montana FCCLA has approximately 70 chapters and over 1,000 members across the state. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Montana FCCLA website.

 


View the Competitive Events & Career Pathways Crosswalk to explore how FCCLA's competitive events program aligns to
career pathways and career readiness initiatives.

 

Say Yes to FCS in Montana

Say Yes to FCS in Montana: Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Education is looking for enthusiastic, dedicated people to become middle and high school FCS teachers!

You can make a difference in the lives of over XXX Montana Family & Consumer Sciences students. Contact Montana State University to find out how you can earn a teaching degree or credential in Family & Consumer Sciences Education.