Family and Consumer Science Education (FCS)

Educational programs focus on strengthening individuals, families and communities by addressing critical issues and needs, such as teaching parenting skills, improving nutrition and health, managing family finances, addressing child care needs, and others.

UT – TSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences is both universities at work in your community. We address the everyday issues families face and provide help through education.

Family	Food	Health	Home	Money
We foster healthy parenting skills, enrich family relationships, and promote emotional wellness.	We help people make healthy food choices, manage their weight, preserve food, and handle food safely.	We help people make healthy choices, manage health conditions, and create healthier environments.	We help families save energy, prepare for emergencies, make home healthy, and to be safe.	We help families increase savings, decrease debt, spend wisely, and plan for the future.

Family and Consumer Science Programs:

Food, Nutrition, and Health Programs:

Living Well with Chronic Conditions: A six-week evidence-based group education program that teaches people practical skills they need to live well with a variety of health conditions. Through weekly sessions, the workshop provides support for continuing normal daily activities and dealing with emotions that arise from having a chronic condition.

Take Charge of Your Diabetes: A six-week evidence-based program that helps individuals take day-to-day responsibility for their diabetes care. Participants gain skills necessary to self-manage their diabetes and work effectively with their healthcare professionals.

Dining with Diabetes is a hands-on learning program designed to teach practical skills needed to comply with the health care provider’s instructions. Food demonstrations included in each lesson to teach quick-and-healthy cooking techniques. Participants also learn how to count the amount of carbohydrates in the food, how to modify recipes to reduce calories, carbohydrates and fat and how to plan a balanced diet for a specific calorie level.​​

Eat Well, Feel Well: A series of five educational activities designed to engage older adults and teach nutrition, food resource management, and food safety. ​

Faithful Families is a nutrition curriculum designed specifically for faith-based communities, such as churches, temples, or mosques. The curriculum consists of nine lessons to promote healthy eating, food resource management, and physical activity. In addition, the lessons include guides to promote a healthy environment in the faith-based community.​​​

Eat Smart Move More: Eat Smart at Home: This basic curriculum is designed to teach skills in healthy eating, food preparation, food resource management, and physical activity among participants. It consists of eight core lessons and two optional lessons that average 45-60 minutes each.​​​

A Matter of Balance is an eight-session community class specifically designed to reduce the fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and improve activity levels among community-dwelling older adults.

Tai Chi: Healthy Choices for People with Arthritis: This eight-week program is designed for people with arthritis to reduce pain and stiffness and help maintain or improve mobility, muscle strength, memory, and balance. Individuals of all ages and mobility levels can benefit from this low impact course. ​​​​​​

Financial Programs:

UT Extension is an approved provider by the Tennessee Department of Education to provide high school teachers the required fourteen hours of continuing education in order to teach personal finance. The half-semester of personal finance is required for high school graduation. Extension educators offer workshops across the state to meet this need.

Looking to learn more about managing your money? If so, PACE: Money-wise is for you. In this program, you will learn easy steps for setting money goals, stretching your dollar, developing a spending plan, understanding credit, and saving.

America Saves uses principles of behavioral economics and social marketing to motivate, encourage, and support everyday Americans to save money, reduce debt, build wealth, and create better financial habits. America Saves encourages individuals and families to take the America Saves pledge, a tool that empowers them to commit to save successfully with a plan. UT Extension is a partner with America Saves through our Tennessee Saves program. New materials are added yearly.

On My Own is a fun and engaging financial education simulation for junior and senior high youth. Students imagine that they are adults with the responsibility of being the major income provider for a household that may include a spouse and/or children. Using a hypothetical occupation and income, participants work through a month of household purchases including housing, utilities, transportation, insurance, food, childcare, clothing, entertainment, and unexpected expenses.

Job Training Program:

Skill Up Tennessee is UT Extension’s SNAP Employment and Training program. The purpose of the program is to assist eligible SNAP participants in gaining skills, training, work, or experience that will increase their ability to obtain regular employment. The ultimate goal is self-sufficiency. In Tennessee, the program is administered by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development through a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services. UT Extension provides Skill Up Tennessee as a SNAP E&T partner. Visit SkillUp.Tennessee.edu for more information.

Contact: Priscilla Gilliam