The purpose of this paper is to describe an educational partnership experience between rural retailers and graduate students in a Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles program. Students were afforded an opportunity to work with small business owners in rural communities, giving them real world exposure to the actual challenges being faced by…

Recent changes made by the Council for Professional Recognition to the Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing program create an opportunity to redesign high school child development programs. On April 1, 2011, the Council for Professional Recognition lifted the age restriction in the CDA credentialing requirements, now allowing students…

Utah State University Cooperative Extension programming, provided through the historic land-grant system, is one method used to meet the needs of residents located in rural communities. Residents in a Central Utah county need Cooperative Extension programs to address the health and wellness of their rural community. According to the Utah…

Approximately 5 million secondary students take family and consumer sciences (FCS) classes in the United States each year (AAFCS, 2012). Most states reported a shortage of FCS teachers (Werhan & Way, 2006). Programs to prepare FCS teachers are essential to maintaining the pool of teachers, but they are becoming scarce. One potential source of…

Youth and adult partners participated in youth asset mapping, a form of action research, to assess community assets and youth involvement opportunities. Qualitative data were analyzed to examine youths' feelings of empowerment and experiences with adult partners. Asset mapping contributed to youth empowerment, especially when adults were engaging…

According to the Jump$tart Coalition, Oklahoma is one of 24 states to adopt financial education requirements for students (Jump$tart Coalition, 2010). The Passport to Financial Literacy Act of 2007, Oklahoma House Bill 1476, requires Oklahoma students in grades 7 through 12 to fulfill established financial literacy requirements to graduate with a…

Several definitions of service learning exist. For this initiative, the authors used Torres and Sinton's (2000) definition that students are learning about social issues and applying new knowledge to real problems in their communities. This project entailed a partnership of committed citizens of different groups (middle, secondary, and university…

The Family Economics and Financial Education Project (FEFE) began in 2001 at Montana State University with an annual grant from Take Charge America, Inc., a credit counseling and debt management company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. FEFE's mission is to provide educators with curriculum materials and training to be effective teachers of…

"Bridging the Gap: Intergenerational Appreciation" is an educational partnership between community residents and high school family and consumer sciences (FCS) students in the Cornwall-Lebanon School District in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The program provides 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students opportunities to be actively involved with the older…

University faculty and community agencies collaborated to design and implement Healthy Weigh/El camino saludable, a family-focused obesity prevention and intervention program in a low-income, urban community at high risk for obesity and related chronic disease. Hispanic and African American families participated in 12 weekly sessions. Offered in…

In Louisiana, it is estimated that almost 33% of school-age children are at risk for becoming overweight or are already overweight (Louisiana Office of Public Health, 2004). Studies have shown that poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and weight problems often associated with being overweight adversely affect academic performance in school…

In an effort to address migration of talent from sub-Saharan Africa, a number of higher education institutions are attempting to strengthen or develop graduate programs in several areas. These institutions see the potential for emerging digital technologies to provide new and exciting opportunities for collaboration with Western institutions.…

Engagement in family and consumer sciences leads to action that improves the human condition. Collaboration and Reciprocity in Education (CARE) provides the foundation for instruction, research, and service, engaging academic and community agencies to establish local and international partnerships that will improve the condition of individuals,…

Collaboration between industry and academia creates a win-win situation for individuals and communities. Through innovative partnering, students apply knowledge to real-world situations, institutions increase program visibility, and businesses receive innovative solutions to complex problems. This article provides a roadmap for implementing a…

The "Columbus Saves" educational program is a broad-based community coalition made up of more than 40 local organizations from the education, nonprofit, government, faith-based, and private sectors. Common goals of partners in reaching Columbus, Ohio's 1.5 million residents are to: (a) promote increased savings through education and social service…