Home economics provides students with practical life skills to enhance their present and future lives, including skills for healthy relationships, parenting, personal finance, nutrition, clothing care and repair. It fosters critical thinking skills to solve problems in an ever-changing society. As family structures change with more single-parent families and an aging population, home economics equips students to cope with these realities by teaching skills like home management, communication, and caregiving. It influences career choices in fields like education, social work, nutrition and fashion that support families and society.

1. Home Economics …

2. “… stands for the ideal home life
for today unhampered by the
traditions of the past [ and] the
utilization of all the resources of
modern science to improve home
life."
Ellen Swallow Richards (1904)
Founder of the Home Economics Movement

3. Home Economics offers more than just the
practical skills of cooking…

4. … and sewing.

5. “Home Economics fosters the
development of reflective, critical thinkers
secure in dealing with the perennial
practical problems of families in a global
society”
Gale Smith, Ph.D (2002)
Curriculum and Instruction in Home Economics Education, UBC

6.  Home Economics allows students to
think critically and solve problems in
an ever changing society

7. Home Economics provide students with
the skills that will enhance their lives for
the present and future.

8. What is happening in Canadian Society?

9. An increase in male lone-parent families
Do they have the
skills and
knowledge to
cope?

10. Non-family related physical assaults have
doubled those of family related assaults

11. An increase in the aging population
Who will care for them?
Do they know how?

12. How does Home Economics provide
students with the skills that will enhance
their lives for the present and future?

13. Students who take Family Studies will
learn how to:
 Assess components of a safe physical and
personal environment for children
 Obtain the skills for effective communication
 Describe the components of a healthy
relationship
 Understand the roles and responsibilities of
adulthood and parenting

14.  Understand a variety of economic, social, and
emotional issues and challenges that may affect
families
 Identify the factors that affect the choice of living
and housing options
 And so much more!

15. What is happening to our food in
Canadian Society?

16. 23% Canadians 18+yrs are obese.

17. Are We What We Eat?

18. What about Malnutrition and Globesity?

19. So much food to choose from.
How do we decide?

20. How do we produce good, nourishing
food for all, and protect the land at the
same time?

21. How does Home Economics provide
students with the skills that will enhance
their lives for the present and future?

22. Students who take Food Studies will:
 Describe factors that influence personal food
choices
 Evaluate commercial food products
 Identify the influence of food marketing practices
 Determine environmental and health issues
related to consumption and production of food
 Modify recipes to improve their nutritional value
 Critique the use of additives and enrichments,
pesticides and nutrition and health statements of
foods
 And so much more.

23. How many Canadians are able to care
for their clothing or even make simple
repairs?

24. There are many new textile fibres like soy,
bamboo, and microfibres available.
So much choice, how does one decide?

25. What about child labour, sweatshops,
and environmental issues related to
our textile choices?

26. Can textiles arts promote positive self
esteem and lead to a lifelong hobby ?

27. How can Home Economics provide
students with the skills that will enhance
their lives for the present and future?

28. Students who take Textiles Studies will :
 Identify the conditions under which clothing and
textiles are produced
 Look at local opportunities to renew and recycle
clothing and textiles
 Describe basic care of textile items including
stain removal
 Use a variety of sewing techniques to construct
textile items
 Evaluate textile products
 And so much more

29. Since there is less time being spent at home
with families there is a need now more
than ever to build the confidence of our
students in taking care of themselves…

30. The Benefits of all Home Economic
Classes are that:
 Students gain hands-on-skills that can change
their lives and the lives of others around them
 Students will use what they learn every day of
their lives
 Students have the opportunity to discover their
own abilities, and develop a curiosity to learn
more.
 Students develop positive self esteem, creativity,
time management skills and global awareness

31. Home Economics classes can influence
career choices such as:
 Family Studies
 social worker, family counsellor, child care worker,
property manager, educator, nursing
 Foods & Nutrition:
Food stylist, health inspector, chef, caterer, dietitian,
food writer or critic, food scientist, educator, nutritionist
 Textiles Studies
Costume designer, interior decorator, fashion designer
or illustrator, personal shopper, upholsterer, fashion
merchandizer, educator

32. ‘It must be remembered that the purpose of
education is not to fill the minds of
students with facts... it is to teach them to
think, if that is possible, and always to
think for themselves.’ --- Robert Hutchins

33. Home Economics: So much more than
just cooking and sewing!

34. Home Economics
– it’s a course for life
2008 -Created by Denice Marr for THESA