Success StoryLaundry 101: High School Seniors



Laundry 101: High School Seniors

Author: Matti Coffey

Planning Unit: Whitley County CES

Major Program: Empowering Community Leaders (general)

Plan of Work: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities

Outcome: Initial Outcome

In an article written by Tove Danovich for NPR, the idea of Family and Consumer Sciences classes being taken away from high schools is discussed as a problem. The article states, "It seems like one thing every FCS teacher will tell you is that their subject is one that, unlike calculus, students never wonder whether it will be relevant." Family and Consumer Science skills are ones you use every day, or at lease weekly, whether it is balancing your bank statement, or washing clothes. In most high schools, this class is offered as an elective. Many students do not get exposed to the benefits of taking a Family and Consumer Sciences class.

Recently, the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for Whitley County was asked by the local high school to participate in an "Adulting" series. The purpose was to get high school seniors ready for the transition of being on their own. The "Gear Up" program in the schools planned a motivational speaker to kick off the event. Then each student was assigned to go to different workshops planned around skills needed to be independent. These included cooking basics, banking and how to write a check, interview skills, and clothing care. The FCS Agent taught students how to separate laundry safely, how to read care tags on clothing items, loading a washing machine, and drying instructions. To end the class, every student was taught how to sew on a button.

There was approximately 120 students that learned about laundry basics and clothing care. When asked, about 25% of students already did their own laundry at home; Even less than that had sewed on a button. By the end of the Family and Consumer Sciences presentation, every student understood the importance of separating laundry, 95% said they felt confident enough to do laundry on their own, and 98% could find the clothing care tag on a garment. This program was a huge success and covered by local newspapers. The hope is to continue this with every graduating class to emphasize these Family and Consumer Sciences skills.






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