Save the Date:
February 13, 2025: FACS Day at the Capitol in Atlanta, GA
Check out the 2025 Legislative Letter!
1. Say YES to FCS: Fill the family and Consumer Sciences Educator Pipeline
- Use the monthly tools for a social media campaign. Involve the GA Department of Education, GATFACS, FCCLA, GEAFCS, GAFCS educator members, student unit members, GA 4-H program
- Exhibit at GATFACS Conference in January 22-24 (Great Wolf Lodge, LaGrange)
- Exhibit/judge/present at FCCLA Leadership Conference (date November 13-14)
- FCCLA – be a resource speaker about value of FCS degree/career option
- Establish a link on the GAFCS web site to www.aafcs.org/FCSEdPipeline.asp
- Article in GAFCS Newsletter
- Work in conjunction with FCS Success!
2. FCS Success: Raising Voices, Visibility and Value of Family and Consumer Sciences
- Launch of new website at AAFCS Town Hall December 4, 2020. Continued with interactive zoom presentations to answer the question --- “What happened to Hone Ec?”.
- Prescription for Success: Identify the audience; Build the messages and share; Evaluate if the message resulted in the action you were looking for.
- Three Moves You Can Make to Increase FCS Awareness
- Meeting-In-a-Box
- Tool Box on Membership recruiting and retaining members
- Develop an Action Plan for Georgia
- Implement the action plan in 2024-25
- Meet monthly via zoom
- Sub Committee: Jackie Ogden, chair, Joanne Cavis, Tracey Brigman, Darby Sewell, Vickie Rundbacken, Caitlin Roberson, Carmen Pedersen
3. Participate in National Family and Consumer Sciences Educator Day, February12, 2025, to highlight the value and achievements of FCS educators and programs.
a. Use Carmen Pedersen, AAFCS TOY 2023, Megan Whitworth Palmer, AAFCS TOY 2016, Jenna Black, 2019 AAFCS TOY Merit Finalist, and DJ Youngblood, 2024 GAFCS TOY, as spokespersons for GAFCS
b. Involve the GaDOE, GaFCCLA, GEAFCS, GATFACS
c. Article in GAFCS newsletter
d. Sub-committee chair: Jenna Black
4. Promote participation in celebrating the value and impact of the FCS profession and commemorating the birthday of our founder, Ellen Swallow Richards, on December 3, 2024, when we ---------
- Student Units are important.
- Colleges are important in participation: UGA, GSU, FVSU, ABAC
- Goal to have ALL GAFCS members participate
- Use the AAFCS web materials
2024 THEME:
- Encourage FCCLA participation using their curriculum
- Encourage GEAFCS members to participate with programs and media release
- Encourage Georgia Departments of Education and Agriculture to participate
- Link on GAFCS website to AAFCS web address
- Article in GAFCS Newsletter
- Promotional news feature emailed to GAFCS members in October, just before Thanksgiving in November and throughout December
- Sub-committee chair: Jenna Black
5. World Home Economics Day: March 21, 2025
- Use information from IFHE to develop media release and PR materials
- Encourage celebration of global reach of HE/FCS by GAFCCLA, GEAFCS, College and University units, and GAFCS members
- Have a poster at the 2025 GAFCS Annual Conference
- Article in the GAFCS newsletter
- Theme:
- Sub-committee chair:
6. International Day of the Family: May 15, 2025
- Use information from IFHE and other research-based entities to develop media release and PR materials
- Article in the GAFCS newsletter
- Encourage “Importance of Families” programs on or near May 15 by FCS teachers, Extension agents, FCS college and university faculty and student units, GAFCS members, and family-centered community programs
- Hold a poster contest for students that illustrates the theme..
- Sub-committee chair: Carmen Pedersen
7. FCS Day at the Capitol: February 13, 2025
- Coordinate with UGA: date, agenda, proclamation, resolution, legislative aides
- GAFCS write Resolutions for House and Senate, coordinate sponsors for each Resolution with GEAFCS/GAFCS – EARLY – October, after Resolutions have been approved by Executive Board of GAFCS
- Preferred Sponsors are the ones who work with the UGA-FCS Legislative Aide Program
- Encourage participation of all FCS groups in Georgia
--GEAFCS prepares a token gift for each legislator. Distribution must be approved by a House and Senate Sponsor through use of a photo of their business cards on each gift and a ” FCS Day at the Capitol” on the reverse side. Gifts must be taken to the Capitol the day prior to the FCS Day between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm.
- HOUSE: Capitol Post Office, POC
- SENATE: Secretary of Senate, room 353 State Capitol 404.656.5040
--Assemble representatives of FCS to be on floor of House (5) and Senate (5) chambers when Resolutions are read. Let them know when and where they need to be for access to the Floor for the Readings.
GAFCS, GEAFCS, DOE/FCS, GATFACS, FCCLA (Ex Dir., Student president and advisor) UGA Dean, UGA Legislative Aides
- Put “save the date” on GAFCS web site
- Article in GAFCS Newsletter
- Sub-committee Chair: Joanne Cavis, Aimee Dowd (UGA), Jenna Black (Capitol)
8. Letter to all Georgia Legislators in February, prior to FCS Day at Capitol
- Print letter: flat, no envelopes, no labels -- 250 copies
- (180 House districts, 56 Senate districts plus leadership)
- Deliver it to legislators’ offices in Atlanta through mail rooms for Senate and House with cover note about distribution.
- Go to the Capitol Post Office who w ill deliver to both office buildings.
- POC is -----------
c. JSC will write letter with input from GAFCS Board; approval in November
d. Post letter on GAFCS website after 2/10/2025: Letter can be found here: Legislative Letter
e. Involve UGA Legislative Aides, if practical
f. Sub-committee Chair: Joanne Cavis, Jenna Black
- Continue financial support of Legislative Aides Program at UGA
- Can other FCS programs initiate this program at GA Southern, Ft. Valley?
- If so, can GAFCS give similar financial support?
- Coordinate UGA Aides through Student Success and Advising Center
- Bernard Green (bernard@uga.edu) new June 2023
- Article in GAFCS newsletter
- Report from Legislative Aide at GAFCS state meeting
- Sub-committee Chair: Joanne Cavis.
9. AAFCS pilot Advocacy Program 2024-2027
a. March, 2024, AAFCS notification of GAFCS acceptance into Grant Cohort and will receive $1000 in two payments July 2024 and January 2025 to cover expenses related to conducting monthly advocacy meetings with policymakers and filing reports to AAFCS.
b. Monthly Grant Cohort Meetings held 4th Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 pm began March.
c. Attend training sessions (3) held in Minneapolis.
d. June GAFCS Leadership Retreat: Develop monthly teams and issues
1. Establish monthly meeting time for GAFCS grant cohort group
a. Second Tuesday from 5:00 – 5:30 pm after GAFCS Board meeting
Develop Issue papers and Materials (Jackie and Joanne)
- Identify champions and policymakers
e. Sub-committee Co-Chairs Jackie Ogden and Joanne Cavis; members Jenna Black Tracey Brigman, Kena Torbert, Ashleigh Geurin, Cara Simmons, Karen Jones, Helen Carter, June Thomas, DJ Youngblood, Kristin Hankins, Francine Hollis, Sarah Black
10. Attend Advocacy Sessions when available and announce to other GAFCS members
- 2024 and 2025 AAFCS Conferences
- 2024-2025 Epsilon Sigma Phi webinars
- Other advocacy webinars
Joanne and Kena would like to have several people with contacts to GaDOE, GATFACS, GEAFCS, FCCLA, College Student Units, new professionals, etc. be part of the Public Policy Committee and take the leadership of a sub-committee. Include: Name, mailing address, email and phone (cell and work #s). Please send to JCavis@gmail.com.