SUSTAINABLE FUTURES
The theme for the 2008 professional development program is:
Sustainability: From consumer to citizen.

The theme will take a two-pronged approach.

• Firstly, it will look at the relationship between home economics and sustainability — that is, how practices associated with home economics can impact on sustainable futures, and the implications of that for learning and teaching.

• The second prong will consider the sustainability of good practice in the home economics classroom.

WHY?
The rationale behind the 2008 theme is probably best summed up by the following extract from the Earth Charter:
The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions and ways of living. We must realise that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.
Source: The Earth Charter http://www.earthcharterusa.org/earth_charter.html

Given that everyday decisions made by individuals, families and communities impact on both local and global communities, it is timely to revisit our practices through this lens.

The important contribution that home economics can make to the wellbeing of individuals and families will not be realised unless we are able to sustain good practice in our classrooms. The new educational initiatives related to, for example, essential learnings and related assessment practices, provide an ideal opportunity to look to the future.

The 2008 program is designed to empower teachers to engage in effective home economics education and, at the same time, look at how our discipline learnings and pedagogic practice can also integrate issues of sustainability.

WHAT?
The program will have two parallel and sometimes overlapping themes:

• the ‘what to do’ in home economics classrooms to ensure that we sustain good practice in light of current educational imperatives such as the Essential Learnings and Standards, and related pedagogic and assessment practices

• how everyday practices related to food and textiles impact on local and global environmental issues, considering for example: What is sustainable practice? What are the environmental impacts? How does that relate to home economics and everyday practices? What can we do? Can we really make a difference?

Download professional development calendar here.