The New Ulm Public High School aims at preparing graduates to become successful citizens, workers, and college students post high school graduation. Entering the world as an adult may seem scary to many, but with the knowledge obtained through Family and Consumer Science classes offered at NUHS the transition can seem rather smooth.

Throughout the day they are six different Family and Consumer Science (FACS) classes in room “123”. The classes offered for students this semester include Pastry and Design, Advanced Foods, Survival Real World, and Basic Food. Each class has a different focus, but each has the same goal. The goal is to learn skills that will be valuable and enrich an individual’s life.

The goal of Family and Consumer Science classes is to educate students through skills and research to help them make informed decisions about relationships, their well-being, and resources to obtain optimal quality of life in the future. The broad field offered under the IT department offers beneficial knowledge for students planning to enter a wide array of career clusters including human services, education and training, hospitality and tourism, and finance. Due to the vast amount of knowledge the department can cover, it is encouraged by teachers and students to partake in the unique classes. Survival Real World senior, Hailey Boelter says, “In general, I like the wide variety of classes FACS offers and the real life skills it teaches.” When interviewing Boelter she said she wished she had taken the course Basic Food her freshman year, so she could have taken more of the advanced courses. 

Classes such as Basic Food, Interior Design, Child Development, Relationships,  and Pastry and Design are available for students to take in the upcoming 2018-2019 academic school year and can be found in the registration forms received earlier this month. These classes are led by Mrs. Nicole Hauth, who obtained her Bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University in Family and Consumer Science Education. Hauth has always had a passion for the area of FACS since she was in high school herself. At that time “Home Economics” education was the area she saw herself in after being inspired by her FACS teacher. Hauth decided she wanted to pursue FACS education after high school with great enthusiasm. Hauth said, “It didn’t feel like a job, I was still learning but having fun as well.”

Family and Consumer science teachers are individuals who teach students valuable life skills in order to become successful adults in the community. Hauth says that good candidates for FACS educators are “individuals who are excited about the material.” This material can range from teaching basic cooking concepts to teaching students how to manage stress. Hauth recommends Minnesota State University (MSU) and South Dakota State University (SDSU) for individuals considering FACS education as they have a good reputation for sending their graduates off feeling confident and comfortable in the classroom.  Hauth said, “You leave feeling prepared.”