Hello Missouri FCCLA! I am so excited to talk to you all about one of my favorite parts of FCCLA – National Programs. Within the National Programs, there are eight different peer-to-peer education programs. These programs are aimed to help students develop real world skills for life through Family and Consumer Sciences education. All eight of the National Programs have engaging resources such as lesson plans, activities, and project ideas. Being involved with these National Programs can help you develop practical knowledge and essential life skills that will help you now and in the future. Let’s take a look at everything these National Programs have to offer.
Career Connection
Career Connection gives members the opportunity to learn about themselves and the workplace. Their future careers are on a paved path to success through Career Connection. There are four units within the Career Connection category. My Skills, My Life, My Career, and My Path all make up Career Connection. Through My Skills, members are able to learn about themselves and practice being productive, reliable employees by associating their interests, skills, and goals to careers. Members are able to learn how to manage the interconnected roles of careers, families, and communities through the My Life unit. They learn the skills to balance these roles. If you want to gain knowledge on how to find and receive a job, My Career is the unit you want to look at. Through My Path, members can plan the steps needed to meet their future goals. Members could take a career interest inventory, job shadow, or put on mock interviews. They could also participate in the Career Investigation STAR event.
Community Service
Through the Community Service program, members have the opportunity to identify local concerns and plan and carry out projects to help make a difference by improving the quality of community life. The projects allow for members to engage in their communities. They experience character development and improve their creative and critical thinking skills, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge, and career preparation. The three units of Community Service are learn, lead, serve. Members will learn more personal values, ethics, and decision making skills while evaluating the needs of their community. Leadership skills are used to serve the community. This leadership can be transferred into the workplace. Members play a crucial role in serving the community. Through this service, you can gain community partnerships, and advocacy play in serving the needs of others. Members could host a food drive, participate in community cleanup, or donate supplies to centers in need.
FACTS
Families Acting for Community Traffic Safety (FACTS) gives members the incentives and information they need to build a better understanding of what it means to drive safely today and in the future. Members are able to educate peers and adults about traffic safety, as well as supporting local rules and regulations. Tools are given to help families promote positive safety attitudes that will last a lifetime! People, Vehicles, and Roads are the units of FACTS. People: To understand and promote your role as a driver or passenger and keep yourself and others safe. Vehicles: To understand vehicle safety and the role it plays in safety for you and others. Roads: To understand and promote your role on the road as well as the safety hazards you may encounter and how to avoid them. Members could perform seatbelt checks at their school, speak with local law enforcement about speaking to their school, or host a mock crash/docudrama.
Families First
Families First is a peer education program that helps young people explore, understand and appreciate diverse aspects of families and family life. Through Families First, members gain the opportunity to become better family members and encourage others to do the same. They can also focus on strengthening the family as a foundational unit of society, explore family supporting careers, provide safety education to youth about safe and healthy families, and understand how nurturing children build strong families. There are five Families First units: Dynamics, Balance, Development, Safety, and Skills. Members could put on a family game night or host a family meal.
Financial Fitness
Financial Fitness teaches members how to save, spend, earn, and protect their finances. Through the projects associated with Financial Fitness, members learn how to become wise financial managers and smart consumers. All of the financial skills are important for our future. There are four units including Earning, Spending, Saving, and Protecting. A project idea for Financial Fitness could include having members do a budget challenge to practice budgeting for the future.
Power of One
Power of One is a great way for members to discover and use their own personal power. Members have the opportunity to set goals, work to achieve them, and experience the reward of the results. The skills learned through Power of One help in both the classroom and at home. There are five units. A Better You (1) allows members to work on their personal traits. For example, maybe you want to be more organized so you buy a planner. Family Ties (2) give you the opportunity to create a better relationship with your family members. A way that you could achieve this could be eliminating screens at the dinner table so that you have to have conversations. Through Working on Working (3), you can explore work options, prepare for a future career, and sharpen your skills. By Taking the Lead (4), you develop leadership qualities. The final unit is Speak Out for FCCLA (5). This one is my favorite because you get to tell others all about FCCLA. You could do this by presenting to students about why they should join FCCLA.
Stand Up
Stand Up guides members develop, plan, carry out, and evaluate advocacy activities to improve the quality of life of their community. Members use their voice to help make a positive impact. Members develop character and improve their creative and critical thinking skills. The units of stand up include assessing current needs, educating others regarding concerns, and advocating so that they can make a difference now and in the future. Members could put on an anti-bullying presentation at school, anti tobacco presentation, or a project on workplace safety.
Student Body
Within the Student Body National Program, members learn how to make educated and responsible choices regarding their physical and mental health, while also teaching others. Student Body gives members the facts and incentives to create healthy habits that will stay throughout their life. The Healthy You, The Fit You, The Real You, and The Resilient You are the four units. The Healthy You teaches members to make wise food and lifestyle choices. The Fit You empowers students to make healthy choices regarding fitness. The Real You empowers members to maintain positive mental health. The Resilient You empowers teens to build emotional health positively. Members could host an athletic event such as a volleyball tournament for your student body or create a healthy meal plan.
Every single National Program provides members with tools and skills that will benefit them now and in the future. All sections are hands-on and engaging for members. Take some time and think about participating in a National Program STAR event or completing a National Program Project. I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with!
Paige Hanson
Vice President of Programs
