S3E17 | Elevating Life Skills: Advocacy, Innovation, and the Future of Family & Consumer Sciences with AAFCS Karin Athanas

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Karin Athanas, Executive Director of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Karin shares her strategic vision for the organization, focusing on how FCS professionals are uniquely positioned to empower individuals, families, and communities for a better quality of life. We dive deep into AAFCS's crucial advocacy efforts to ensure Family and Consumer Sciences is formally recognized as a core Career Cluster in education, equipping students with essential skills from personal finance and nutrition to human development. Learn about the value of AAFCS professional certifications, the new Collaborative Network fostering community, and the surprising, modern relevance of this foundational field. If you're passionate about life skills education, career pathways, and community well-being, you won't want to miss this conversation!

On today’s podcast, we are talking to Karin Athanas who is with AAFCS. Karin is the Executive Director of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), the premier professional association for the FCS field. She is a recognized nonprofit leader and an expert in standards and conformity assessment, bringing a scientific mind and strategic vision to the association. Since joining in 2023, Karin has focused on advancing the FCS mission to empower individuals, families, and communities through research, leadership, and service, and she is a strong advocate for establishing Family and Consumer Sciences as a key Career Cluster in national education frameworks.