Family and Consumer Science classes teach life skills that lead to healthy choices. There’s great opportunity for generational change. Kids learn about nutrition, they learn about how to make healthier choices – and if they’re teacher Chelsea Folmsbee, they learn how to cook nutritious food! These are lessons that have an impact on families today and future families of tomorrow!
Chelsea was recently featured on WHAS11…
Chelsea Folmsbee views her classroom as the front lines of a serious fight against obesity. “Maybe cook the zucchini just a little bit longer but other than that it looks great,” said Folmsbee from Robinson Secondary School. At Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, students are chopping up fresh kale, zucchini, onions and garlic and pan-searing chicken.
With about one third of American adults considered obese, family and consumer sciences instructors like Folmsbee say it's not just about teaching teens what's healthy, but encouraging them to experiment with it. “I feel like a lot of times we see things in the grocery store and we don't get them because we don't know what to do with them. So if we can learn what to do with them we're more apt to buy them and use them,” said Folmsbee.
The nation's school lunches have recently undergone a transformation but Folmsbee wants to enable students to cook up healthy dishes, long after class is dismissed. Perhaps a new purpose for the old "home ec."
This is just one example of what creative and dedicated FACS teachers are doing out there. So as you think about advocates in your region who might help you promote healthy choices for better public heath – don’t forget the local schools and FACS teachers!