Extension hosts inaugural Family and Consumer Sciences Day at the Capitol
April 20, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Extension FCS staff, teachers, students, agency leaders visited Arkansas State Capitol
- Event promoted extension work statewide to strengthen Arkansas families, communities
- Staff shared information on nutrition, financial literacy, child development and more
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Download photo of FCS Day at the Capitol attendees
LITTLE ROCK — The second-floor rotunda at the Arkansas State Capitol buzzed with conversation as Cooperative Extension Service staff connected with legislators, agency leaders and community organizations during the inaugural Family and Consumer Sciences Day at the Capitol on April 16.
Hosted by Cooperative Extension Service family and consumer sciences, or FCS, professionals, the event was “an important opportunity for extension to highlight the critical role family and consumer sciences plays in strengthening Arkansas families and communities,” said Jessica Vincent, extension assistant professor of health and community and public health outreach specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
“FCS Day at the Capitol allowed policymakers, agency partners and the public to see firsthand how extension’s evidence-based programs address real, everyday challenges impacting health, financial stability, food security, child and family development and overall quality of life,” Vincent said.
Nina Roofe, assistant vice president of family and consumer sciences for the Division of Agriculture, highlighted how coordinated FCS programs around the state support Arkansas’ families.
“Hosting this event at the Capitol helps legislators see the real return on investment of extension,” Roofe said. “This is a great way to tell our FCS story and show attendees how our work directly supports Arkansas families and state priorities.”
Teaching skills for life
FCS students, secondary teachers and university educators were among the attendees.
Maynette Stroud, family and consumer sciences teacher at Vilonia High School, has taught the subject for the last 33 years. Stroud said that over her decades as an instructor, she’s seen curriculum change to adapt to contemporary issues.
“Now there’s more of a focus on mental health, which is so important,” Stroud said. “Nutrition and fitness are also a big priority, along with community outreach and service. We encourage our students to complete certifications that can help them get a leg up on a job and their futures, such as ServSafe® food handling or CPR certification.
“It just gives them life skills that can help them, regardless of whether they go into the food industry or the medical field,” she said. “It teaches them how to be good citizens.”
Stroud said family and consumer sciences goes beyond the scope of its original title of “home economics.”
“It’s important to get more information out there about this discipline,” she said. “It’s so much more than cooking and sewing.”
“While the discipline has evolved from its historical identity of home economics, the mission remains focused on improving lives,” Vincent said. “Today, FCS takes a holistic, data-driven approach that aligns closely with the social determinants of health — factors such as access to nutritious food, financial education, quality childcare and supportive community environments.
“FCS is not about outdated concepts, but about advancing health outcomes and long-term community well-being,” Vincent said.
Arkansas State Representative Denise Jones Ennett, who represents District 80, said the information FCS staff shared about canning and other food preservation methods caught her eye.
“My first impression of this event today is that Arkansas is a very rural state, and family and consumer sciences provides resources for families in those populations to preserve food and make it last longer,” Ennett said. “It’s such a nice thing to do with your surplus of fruits and vegetables. Canning is a skill that people are getting interested in again, and that preserves history.
“That’s something that stood out to me, and I wonder how many people around the state know whether those services exist,” she said.
Though this is the first time extension has hosted FCS Day at the Capitol, Vincent and Roofe said they hope to make it an annual event, seeing it as an “investment in long-lasting relationships,” Vincent said.
“By initiating conversations and sharing program outcomes, FCS Day at the Capitol lays the groundwork for future collaborations, partnerships and policy support that can expand extension’s reach and effectiveness,” Vincent said.
Explore family and consumer sciences resources on the Cooperative Extension Service website or contact your local county agent to learn more about programming in your county.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061