Over 200 delegates from 29 counties, including Malta, attended the International Home Economics Conference, held at the University’s Valletta Campus.
Themed ‘Action for family and consumer well-being: home economics literacy bringing skills to life’, the conference featured foreign and local speakers talking about the role of home economics in improving everyday living through education, policies, actions and projects. Myriad subjects were tackled, from financial literacy to food taboos during pregnancy and partnerships with industry.
Speakers included Isobel Contento, professor of nutrition and education, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York; Victoria Thoresen, Unesco chair, Education for Sustainable Lifestyles, Hamar College, Norway; Donna Pendergast, dean of the School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Australia; Angela Abela, Department of Family Studies head, University of Malta; and Karen Mugliett from the Nutrition, Family & Consumer Studies.
Delegates also attended a number of workshops on topics like consumer problems, personal finance, promotion of healthy eating, communicating with adolescents and active teaching.
Eat right. Be bright
Local, fresh, healthy and plant-based foods were offered as refreshments and participants used eco-friendly pencils and paper.
A parallel activity was organised on March 21, World Home Economics Day, in Valletta. Senior NFCS student-teachers set up an Eat Right, Be Bright stand, challenging passers-by to participate in healthy eating activities and offering them healthy snacks and drinks.
The aim was to publicise the ‘Sharing food – healthy and sustainable choices’ theme. Apart from receiving an informative booklet on home economics, sustainable living and recipes, visitors could also taste some of the healthy food on offer.
Organised jointly by the NFCS Office of the Faculty of Education, University of Malta, the International Federation of Home Economics and the European Association of Home Economics, the conference was supported by the Ministry of Finance, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, the Malta Tourism Authority, the University of Malta and WasteServ Malta Ltd.
The conference was convened by Suzanne Piscopo, who can be reached on suzanne.piscopo@um.edu.mt.