This session includes a clear overview of current nutrition guidelines, from the evolution of earlier models like the classic food pyramid and the MyPlate balanced-plate model to today’s 2026 inverted food pyramid. Participants will look at easy, relatable ways to teach nutrient-dense eating habits, such as emphasizing whole grains, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and high-quality protein. They will also learn how to help students understand moderation with added sugars and ultra-processed foods in ways that relate to teens' daily decisions.
An organized sewing lab supports safety, efficiency, and student success. This session focuses on practical systems for managing a sewing lab, including tool organization, material storage, inventory tracking, machine maintenance routines, and student accountability procedures. Attendees will explore strategies to reduce downtime, prevent equipment loss, and create a lab environment that allows instruction to run smoothly. Attendees will leave with adaptable ideas and ready-to-use systems to keep their sewing labs running seamlessly, with no loose threads left behind.
This session guides NTI first-year teachers in understanding and applying career pathway standards effectively to enhance student learning. Join us for a practical, encouraging introduction to the key things every first‑year FCS teacher needs to know.
Students start the year booked for success through engaging projects that reflect real hospitality and tourism careers. This back-to-school experience encourages creativity, responsibility, and collaboration while helping students build confidence and workplace-ready skills from day one.
The FCS Nook is designed to provide FCS teachers with a space to ask questions, pay membership dues, pick up resources and fellowship with FCS colleagues. Scholarship baskets will be showcased.
Advocacy is essential to sustaining and strengthening educational programs. In this session, participants will explore the vital connection between classroom impact and legislative awareness. From telling your program’s story to building relationships with policymakers, educators will learn why advocacy is not optional — it is necessary. Attendees will gain insight into how proactive communication helps legislators understand the value of their programs, supports funding and policy decisions, and ensures long-term growth and protection for Career and Technical Education.
This session will explore innovative ways to partner your ECE pathway with childcare centers and classrooms through ongoing, real-world learning experiences. Discover opportunities beyond traditional work-based learning or co-op models that allow students to engage with children on a regular basis throughout the school year. Participants will explore field trip and partnership ideas adaptable for districts of all sizes and leave with practical resources including sample field trip forms, lesson plans, routines and procedures, and insights from students who have participated in these experiences firsthand.
We will discuss how EP vs. AP impacts recipe costing and show easy ways to demonstrate and teach both these topics to students. This is a critical skill for any student who wants to work in the food and beverage industry to know in order to be successful. The concept also applies to other professions. You have to know what it costs to make something in order to know how much to charge!
This session empowers first-year teachers with strategies to develop student leadership, communication, and career skills through FCCLA, and provides practical tips for effective chapter management.
Join us for a dive into the heart of financial elements such as budgeting, credit/debt, taxes, social security, retirement, and estate planning. Especially for our students, harnessing the power of Roth IRAs is essential for their future. Bring your questions, and together we'll share wisdom and become financial warriors.
Increase student achievement, strengthen community ties, and build your programs School-Based Enterprise while keeping it simple. Learn best practices of integrating Home-Based Processing into your classroom by integrating standards, standardizing grading criteria, and selecting menu items.
Community service is more than an activity; it is a powerful tool for building student character, leadership, and real-world connections. This session explores why meaningful service experiences are vital to student growth, school culture, and community impact. Participants will examine how service strengthens career readiness, fosters civic responsibility, and increases program visibility within the community. Additionally, educators will learn how intentional service initiatives help legislators and local leaders better understand, value, and support your program.
Many leaders agree engagement is vital, yet do you have actual strategies to execute it? Participants will be able to plan, practice, and implement engaging learning strategies in their Family and Consumer Sciences courses. Come share techniques that work and learn some new ways to engage learners!
Wearing too many hats? Feeling like you can't get your head "above water" with daily tasks? Need to lighten your workload in your classroom and lab? This is the session for you! Join us as we discuss some basic AI tools that will save you time & energy in the FCS classroom & lab. We will share our simple system swaps that have made our classrooms run more smoothly and efficiently.
The Early Childhood Research Center at the University of Louisville College of Education and Human Development has spent the past year creating a Child Development Associate (CDA) course for high school students. We would love to share samples of lessons with you today. The course was designed by an educator of 40 years, and we are proud to say it is teacher-friendly. We will share a few of the modules and lessons and DO some of the associated activities, remembering JOY is the foundation for all learning.
Kick off the new school year with a fresh look at the updated Middle School Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum and standards. In this engaging, back-to-school themed session, participants will unpack key updates, clarify expectations, and explore practical strategies for aligning instruction with the revised standards. Teachers will collaborate, share ideas, and leave with renewed clarity and confidence for implementing the curriculum in ways that are developmentally appropriate, hands-on, and meaningful for middle school learners.
Turn up the heat on our traditional roundtables! Jump into fast-paced conversations around 3 hot topics, packed with practical tips, ready-to-use resources, and ideas you'll be excited to take back to the kitchen or classroom.
This session will go beyond defining the terminology behind the elements and principles of design into how they interact and impact each other. Participants will learn hands-on ways to teach these concepts in an FCS class, with a specific focus on FCS Essentials and/or Fashion and Interior Design classes.
Looking for ways to make Portrait of a Learner more engaging for high school students? Join us as we share creative ideas—and collaborate on yours—for designing interactive lessons, projects, CTSO activities, and events that create meaningful connections for students and positively impact the community.
High School Family and Consumer Sciences programs help shape the next generation of early childhood educators and family support professionals. This session explores how KET, PBS KIDS, and PBS LearningMedia resources can bring child development concepts to life through multimedia, hands-on learning, and real-world application. Participants will discover engaging strategies that connect play-based learning, early childhood standards, and career exploration in meaningful, classroom-ready ways.
The Teddy Bear Hospital transforms healthcare into a safe, playful, hands-on experience for young children. Kindergarten students will bring their favorite stuffed animal or doll and explore interactive “treatment areas” like the operating room, radiology lab, and routine exam stations. HOSA and FCCLA members will guide children through each experience while teaching them about healthcare in a fun, age-appropriate way. More than just play, this experience helps children build confidence, curiosity, and comfort in medical settings through creativity, collaboration, and connection.
Presented from the perspective of a destination marketing professional, this session offers a high-level look at current hospitality and tourism trends, visitor behavior, and destination development. Participants will gain insight into how destinations compete, attract visitors, and support major events. The session will also outline common career pathways and opportunities within the industry, helping educators better understand the professional landscape their students may enter.
We’ve all been there: the endless to-do lists, the competitive event deadlines, and the pressure to keep every member engaged. But you can’t lead a chapter if your own battery is at 0%. Join us for a candid conversation on identifying the "flicker" of burnout in yourself and your members. We’ll dive into practical strategies for delegating without the guilt, setting boundaries that stick, and reigniting the passion for FCCLA in your chapter.
This NTI Year 2 session is designed for FCS teachers who are ready to strengthen their classroom practice while taking their FCCLA advising to the next level. We’ll revisit key elements of the FCS curriculum and Kentucky standards, then focus on expanding your FCCLA expertise—chapter development, officer leadership, competitive event preparation, and strategies for building a strong, sustainable program. You’ll leave with practical tools and resources to elevate both your instruction and your FCCLA chapter in your second year.
As financial scams become more advanced and harder to detect, awareness is the first line of defense. This session will review emerging fraud trends, including social engineering, synthetic identity fraud, real-time payment scams, and digital impersonation. Participants will leave with increased knowledge and practical tools to help students recognize risks and make informed financial decisions.
This session presents the fundamentals of plate presentation and design, from selecting the right plate to the importance of how food is prepped and cooked for the final garnish. Presentation is critical in the culinary industry as a driver for success whether your students want to work in the restaurant industry or own a catering, bakery, private chef, or cake decorating business. It does not matter how great the food is if it is not presented well, "The First Bite is With Your Eyes". We will also demonstrate a few basic food photography tips to show off your students' work.
Looking to boost your vocabulary instruction with activities kids love? Are you sick of passing out lists for students to copy with little interaction in return? Come and explore fun, ready-to-use resources for your classroom to explore creative and high-impact vocabulary strategies.
How do we teach professionalism, ethics, law, and education careers without putting students to sleep? This session models exactly how to turn Unit 1’s driest content—FERPA, ethics, governance, and career pathways—into active, memorable learning. Instead of lecturing about what teachers should do, participants will experience hands-on strategies that help students practice being professionals from day one. You’ll rotate through four fast-paced mini-activities you can take straight back to your classroom.
This session is based on actual input from teachers who have participated in our annual Teachers Institute at Sullivan University. Their greatest challenge was to generate ideas for demonstrations and hands-on activities that could be performed within a short period of time. Attendees will walk away with demo recipes, ideas and resources to improve the student experience.
Ready to take your parliamentary procedure team to state or nationals? This session moves beyond the main motion to master complex subsidiary and incidental motions, the written test, and the 20-minute demonstration. Participants will break down the rubric, practice the "previous question," and perfect the art of amending an amendment. It is a must-attend for any advisor or team looking to ace their next competition.
By invitation only, this is a collaborative effort between the St. Louis Federal Reserve and KY Jump$tart. The 2026 Teacher of the Year, the 2026 Student of the Year, and Kentucky Master Teacher of Personal Finance Program recipients will be recognized.
