For those of you who do not know me personally, I live in South-East Queensland, Australia. For the past few days we have had extensive flooding down majority of the east coast of Australia. Thankfully, me and my family are all safe and no damage has been done (except for our washing line which was bent by a very large tree branch). I am truly grateful; however, many other families and communities have not been so lucky. At this point, I would like to extend a big thank you to all of the emergency workers, electricity workers and our police departments for their efforts in rescues and clean up.
I believe that this natural disaster, and all natural disasters around the world in the past few years, are a timely reminder about the importance of Home Economics knowledge and education. For example:
- What do you do with the contents of the refrigerator or freezer if the power goes out?
- What is safe to eat?
- How do you conserve water or decontaminate water so that it is safe to drink?
- Preparation of an “Emergency Kit”
- What are the alternatives when there is no bread or milk?
- Canning, insurance policies, sewing, mending
- Keeping the family safe, entertained, healthy and happy in an emergency situation
- What do you cook with the last few remaining contents of the pantry when all the roads are cut and panic buying has left the shop shelves empty?
- 101 uses for cloves, cinnamon and baking soda
- Starting a home/school vegetable garden now – you can’t grow food in 4 days!
Individual, family and community preparation and contingency planning… We provide this kind of information and inspiration in Home Economics classes. Don’t we? Self-sufficiency in situations like natural disasters is extremely important. Knowing what to do with the resources you have readily available. Do not underestimate the value of Home Economics education in a time of crisis.
These are the lessons that my students had to learn this past fall when Hurricane Sandy hit our school community. As we gradually rebuild, the stories that are relayed to me by the students show how much they have learned in my class about food safety, sustainability and overall home economics.
Hope all are safe with your current flooding issues.
Hi Sue, I was thinking about you, your community and Hurricane Sandy when I wrote this too. I thought about our similar situations. Places like Japan, Pakistan, the Caribbean and Thailand have also been hit with natural disasters in recent years. I love hearing that Home Economics makes such an important impact in crisis situations. I have also noticed that Home Economics departments take on leadership roles in providing emergency food and services. I really am very proud of our international home economics community.
I have started a campaign through LinkedIn to get more Family & Consumer Science educators on this community. Many positions and departments are on the chopping block this year as we strive to incorporate the “common Core” into the US education system. Hopefully some will begin joining.
It is a fight to keep it going, but I think that many people are beginning to see the importance of our curriculum. Now we need to find a spokesperson who will help trumpet our cause.
Reblogged this on The Red Elm and commented:
To be honest, I really don’t know what a modern home ec person does nowadays, as opposed to when I was in school (and our school didn’t have a home ec program). I do know that I wish I knew every time something goes past its expiration or I have to dispose of something safely. I look those sorts of things up, of course, and I have this wonderful book about keeping house, called
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House, by Cheryl Mendelsohn. This blog post, though, is the first I’ve seen that links Home Economics to community preparedness. That should be a no-brainer but I see now that I have a whole new area to explore 🙂
Thank you for the reblog! Home Economics operates in many schools around the world and is as relevant today as it was the day the profession was founded (over 100 years ago) – maybe even more so – because modern life is so much more confusing with all the marketing and media. The modern home economist is an advocate for healthy and happy individuals, families and communities. We educate about self-sufficiency, food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, ethical and responsible consumer practices, impacts of humans on the natural environment, sustainable family relationships and much more… Most importantly, it is not what we teach but why and how we teach it – hands on, relevant, practical everyday skills for life. All necessary stuff in case of an emergency! Let me know if you would like more information 🙂 Cheers, Jay