Teen Times January/February 2015

Magazine for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc.

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January/February 2015

A Legacy of Leadership Celebrating 70 Years of Helping Young Men and Women Achieve the “Ultimate Leadership Experience�.

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Leaders

Stronger Healthy Ready

Family

2015 NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE The FCCLA National Leadership Conference brings FCCLA members from across the country, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands together for an opportunity to network with fellow members, attend FCCLA program workshops and leadership sessions, and compete in STAR Events.

Washington, D.C. | July 5-9, 2015 Walter E. Washington Convention Center

EXPERIENCE WASHINGTON, D.C., LIKE THE LOCALS DO! The FCCLA tours will give you an opportunity to visit popular D.C. destinations with fellow FCCLA members. Check the FCCLA National website for more information on NLC Tours and Special Events.

Mt. Vernon and Old Town Alexandria

D.C. City Tour with stop at Arlington Cemetery & Eastern Market

Crime Museum & Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (walking tour)

Monuments

by Moonlight

Washington Nationals Baseball Game

D.C. National Harbor

Inside

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January/February 2015

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Features 6

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New Year…Know You (and Them)

12 FCCLA Week: February 9-14

Regulars 3 Executive Director’s Note 4 FCCLA Waits2Text Winner Announced!

5 Social Media Roundup 10 2015 CTE Month 11 Help FCCLA Build Stronger Families...

13 Keeping Up with the Jones 14 Take an Interest 15 FCCLA in Action!

FCCLA Mission

To promote personal growth and leadership development through Family and Consumer Sciences education. Focusing on the multiple roles of family member, wage earner, and community leader, members develop skills for life through character development, creative and critical thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge, and career preparation.

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Teen Times is the national magazine of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, a career and technical student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education, or as determined by the state department of education.

Christopher Flynn, Director of Communications Josh Bowar, Editorial Consultant Ashley Pournaras, Communications Manager, Art/Design NATIONAL STAFF Sandy Spavone, Executive Director Leah Buller, Director of Membership Marla Burk, CMP, Director of Conferences Christopher Flynn, Director of Communications Mark Hornby, CPA, Director of Finance Carol Ann Riordan, Director of Programs Charles Carson, Mailroom Manager Edie Doane, Program Manager Christine Hollingsworth, Competitive Events Manager Ashley Pournaras, Communications Manager Ana Torres, Staff Accountant Chiquita Boston, Affiliation and Registration Coordinator Stephanie Lussier, Competitive Events & Program Coordinator Sabrina Chacon, Communications and Programs Assistant Ronny Coombs, Meetings and Membership Assistant Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is a private, nonprofit national organization of more than 200,000 members incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. It functions through public and private secondary school systems in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands as an integral part of the Family and Consumer Sciences education program, providing opportunities for enriched learning.

Editor’s Note: Please credit Teen Times for information you reprint, excerpt, or photocopy. Use the following statement to credit materials you use from this issue: Reprinted with permission from Teen Times, the national magazine of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Vol. 69, No. 3.

Teen Times (ISSN 0735-6986) is published five times per year in September, November, January, March, and summer by Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., 1910 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1584, (703) 476-4900. A portion ($4.00) of national dues pays for a one-year subscription to Teen Times.

Inclusion of an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s claims, products, and services. Periodicals postage paid at Reston, VA, and additional mailing offices. Additional annual subscriptions for non-members: $8.00.

POSTMASTERS: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Teen Times, 1910 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1584.

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 1

Together We Are…Ready!

Visit the FCCLA Store and stock up on all of your essentials.

We have a new selection of fashion apparel. Keep warm with an FCCLA fleece jacket or hooded sweatshirt. Stay connected by charging up your tech gadgets with our latest Brookstone® power charger. Celebrate with your students by ordering all your chapter supplies, such as balloons, stickers, and STAR Events binders. We have everything you need for all things FCCLA.

FCCLA POLOS

HOODIES

MEN’S & LADIES FLEECE JACKETS

LONG SLEEVE DRESS SHIRTS BALLOONS THE ADVISER TOTE

BROOKSTONE® POWER BANK

UNDER ARMOUR SACKPACK

Visit the FCCLA Store to see these great products and more.

fcclastore.org

Executive Director’s Note

and school marquees, and be sure to post them on social media so we can share your news success!

Take it to the next level with Table Tuesday! Join in on the FCCLA@TheTable project and post all of your chapter’s meals on social media. Then be sure to pay it forward by supplying a meal through our partnership with Share Our Strength.

Show our red strength with Wear it Proud Wednesday.

Send us your photos of how your chapter created a red out!

Are

you ready to rock the red together? We are all very excited for the 2015 FCCLA Week and have a great line up of national plans. We hope you join together with FCCLA members around the country and inspire your peers as they see the positive work and fun you have as part of FCCLA. This is our moment to shine and showcase we are 70 Years Strong, and FCS is here to stay and continue to prepare leaders. Use the power of your social media outreach to highlight that “Together FCCLA is…”!

Make headlines with Media Blitz Monday! The national officers will be in NYC making a media blitz outside with the national morning news shows. We encourage you to create and use “in-school” media announcements (TV, morning announcements), community billboards,

The Ultimate Throw Back Thursday will be the best!

We are excited to see which states and chapters send us some fantastic photos from our past 70 years! Be sure to tag them #TUTBT. And finally, we will wrap up FCCLA week by recognizing our members on FCCLA Friday. Be sure to check out the staff appreciation video and create your own to share your love for your adviser, state adviser, and chapter members!

Together we all can make FCCLA grow to even greater heights of recognition and success! I can’t wait to see how YOU all ROCK the RED TOGETHER!

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 3

FCCLA Waits2Text Winner Announced!

FCCLA is proud to annouce the winner of the FCCLA Waits2Text contest.

Congratulations to Oakleaf High School FCCLA in Orange Park, Florida, which has won a $5,000 cash prize to support its attendance at the 2015 FCCLA National Leadership Conference, to be held July 5-9 in Washington, D.C.!

FCCLA is grateful to AT&T, whose no driving while texting campaign is titled It Can Wait®, for underwriting the FCCLA Waits2Text contest. The support from AT&T made this contest possible and empowered FCCLA youth leaders to engage in leading efforts to spread the It Can Wait® message. Find out more at ItCanWait.com.

FCCLA Waits2Text is a student-led contest that encourages youth from across the country to take action to prevent texting while driving. Chapters developed creative videos and photo slideshows to spread the word to their families, friends, school, and community about the dangers of texting and driving. The combined efforts of FCCLA chapters reached over 97,000 people!

Oakleaf High School FCCLA wanted to increase awareness of the dangers of texting and driving while helping decrease the number of community members who text and drive. Chapter members put up banners and signs around their school, and skits were shared during the morning school announcements.

The high school’s outside digital sign shared information for the whole community, while articles were placed on the Oakleaf Community Board and in the Clay Today newspaper, County CTE Tech Talk newsletter, and Knight News. FCCLA Chapter members incorporated FCCLA Waits2Text into their homecoming events, even including floats in the homecoming parade. Their community event reached teens, children, parents, teachers, and retirees. Oakleaf High School FCCLA set a great example of youth peer to peer education and impacted their community through their creative outreach.

Congratulations again to Oakleaf High School FCCLA! We can’t wait to see you in Washington, D.C., this summer!

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/NationalFCCLA

Facebook @MNFCCLA: Is your Chapter making big plans for #FCCLAWeek coming up February 9-15?

/NationalFCCLA

@COFCCLA: FCCLA will be 70 this year and we want to know what your chapter is doing to celebrate.

/NationalFCCLA

Twitter @shungerford: A special #TBT in honor of National FCCLA, an organization that helped me become the leader I am today. @wheatonmnFCCLA: Wheaton FCCLA has FCCLA spirit! Show your spirit during National FCCLA Week! @togethercounts : Take the pledge to bring your family back to the table. #FCCLAatTheTable @IdahoFCCLA: Will you be joining us in Washington, D.C. this summer to see this monument? We can’t wait for NLC!

Instagram

/NationalFCCLA

FCCLAleadership .tumblr.com

NationalFCCLA1945

@ncgwishi: Planning committee/officer meeting for #FCCLAWeek. These kids do a great job... #FCCLA #NCFCCLA @lscearce311: Bringing families closer, one meal at a time! #fccla #fcclaatthetable #texasfccla #texasfcclaatthetable #family

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 5

New Year…Know You (and Them) Take Time to Learn More About Your Family The holidays are over. You’ve eaten your fair share of goodies. You’ve given and unwrapped gifts. You’ve spent time with family and friends. And you’ve probably learned more about your relatives than you possibly ever wanted to know.

But what do you really know about your family? Use these activities to help you discover what makes your family special.

It’s a new year. Help them get to know you (while you also get to know them)!

NOTE: You can do each activity with your immediate family, your extended family, or a combination of both. You choose!

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Family Showdown Divide your family into two groups, and you’ll also need a host. (You can have someone play and double as the host if everyone wants to participate in the game.)

Gather paper and pens or pencils. Each person should write his or her name on a piece of paper. Put those pieces of paper into a hat.

To start the game, each team sends two people per team to the front of the room. The host pulls the name of a family member out of the hat and then reads the question, inserting the family member’s name in the question. Each person then writes his or her answer on a piece of paper. If the two members of the team write the same answer, they earn one point. After each question, put the family member’s name back in the hat. Have two new members from each team come to the front of the room, and repeat the process. Play until you run out of questions.

Write your own questions and also use the questions below to get started. Have fun!

If _______ were a fruit, what fruit would he/she be?

If you gave ______ $1 million, what would he/she buy?

If ______ could go on a dream vacation, where would he/she go?

If _____ were an animal, what would he/she be?

If ______ could meet one celebrity, who would he/she choose to meet?

If ______ were a movie character, who would he/she be?

If ______ could choose any job in the world, what would he/she pick?

What is _____’s most prized possession?

What traffic sign best describes ________?

What’s the best thing about ________?

What’s the weirdest thing about _______?

What does/did ____ want to be when he/she grow/grew up?

How would ______ most likely spend a Saturday (if he/she had no other commitments)?

If _____ could only eat one thing for the rest of his/her life, what would he/she choose?

If you gave ______ $10, what would he/she buy?

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 7

The Family Game Give each family member paper and pencils. Assign a family member to read each question aloud. After the question is read, everyone should write his or her answer. When everyone’s answers are in, children and parents turn their whiteboards around and see if they have a match. As noted on the document linked below, parents and children take turns writing down their answers and guessing what the other person wrote down. You also can brainstorm more questions to add! If you want, you could split into two teams and award one point for each matching answer.

Check out the online printable below for questions to use with the game.

Who will match the most and be the family champion? http://momitforward.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-Family-Game-1.pdf

Family Scavenger Hunt Have all of your family members start at the entrance of an indoor mall. Divide everyone into teams of two. Then give each pair a list of the items below. Explain that the items are all worth different points. Remind everyone to be respectful and to ask permission before getting items if they come from a store. Then share that they have 60 minutes to gather as many items as they can. If they are late getting back to the starting point, deduct 5 points per minute.

Ready…set…go!

• • • • • • • • • • • •

ketchup packet (1 point) blue hanger (2 points) price tag that reads $5.99 (5 points) single square of toilet paper (1 point) the signature of someone who shares the first letter of their first name with someone on your team (5 points) movie ticket stub (3 points) perfume or lotion sample (3 points) sugar packet (1 point) paper with the word “SALE” in all caps (5 points) pin or needle (1 point) napkin with a lip print on it (2 points) paper bag (not plastic) large enough to hold all items (2 points)

• • • • • • • •

a business card from someone you don’t know (3 points) an empty cup (2 points) a receipt with yesterday’s date on it (5 points) the signature of a mall security officer (3 points) a mall map (2 points) a bag from a store that starts with the letter B (3 points) the signature of the mall manager (10 points) something from a vending machine (2 points)

Add your own items (including points values) to the list!

8 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org January/February 2015

When I Was Your Age...

Pick a grandma, grandpa, great-grandma, or great-grandpa from your family (or another family members that fits well with the activity) and interview them, asking them questions like the ones below. What can they share with you? What’s interesting about your family? Find a way to share what you learn with the rest of your family members.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

What was your first school like?

What school subject did you like best?

What school subject was the hardest for you?

What are you proudest of accomplishing?

Tell about a school prank or an adventure that you remember.

Tell about your best friend.

Did you go to high school and/or college? If so, tell about it.

What special occasions or events do you remember from when you were younger?

Where did your family come from?

When and where were you born?

What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) you grew up in like?

Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?

What is your earliest childhood memory?

What kind of games did you play growing up?

What was your favorite toy and why?

• • • • • • • • • • •

What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.)?

Did you have chores? What was your favorite chore? What was your least favorite chore?

What was popular while you were growing up?

What historical events do you remember being the most important when you were growing up?

How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?

Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in our family?

What did your family enjoy doing together?

What was your profession, and how did you choose it?

If you could have had any other profession, what would it have been?

Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?

What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 9

2015 CTE Month As

an FCCLA member, every day brings incredible opportunities that expand your horizons, grow your leadership capabilities, and increase your knowledge. Add to that the skills you’re developing — from critical thinking to interpersonal communications. Congratulations for getting on the right track early in life.

But, some youth aren’t as fortunate. That’s why you need to “pay it forward”. And there’s no better time than February, which is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month.

FCCLA has joined the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and the entire CTE community to celebrate CTE. This year’s theme is “Recognizing Classroom Innovators, a chance to tell the stories of leadership and excellence from classrooms across the country”.

What better way to celebrate than educating youth and adults who are unaware of the critical role that CTE plays in preparing our nation’s workforce and shaping the country’s economic success!

Here’s how you can pay it forward:

• Be in the know. Increase your knowledge of

Career and Technical Education and share it with

local and state leaders.

• Get involved. The opportunities are as endless

as your imagination. You could do a presentation for

elementary school students, getting them excited about

taking CTE classes when they go to middle and high

school. Or how about giving a speech to a local service

organization about the profound impact of CTE on your community?

• Spread the word. Use every means available all month long —Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, among others. Traditional newsmedia outlets — local newspapers, radio, and television stations — always are looking for “good news”, so contact them early to pitch a compelling story that clearly demonstrates the impact of CTE on one’s family, career and community.

• Be an advocate. Connect with your mayor, city manager, and other elected officials. Ask them to designate February as CTE Month. You also might want

10 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org January/February 2015

to stage a proclamation-signing ceremony at your school and invite local media to cover it.

Most importantly, tell YOUR story. Facts and figures can build a strong case for Career and Technical Education, but nothing has power like a personal story told from the heart. Who was that special CTE teacher who saw potential in you and gave you the encouragement (and gentle push) to take some risks? You grew from that experience, became more confident in your abilities, and are better for it.

You’re well on your way to even more success and are ready to tackle new goals. Make sure one of them is paying it forward.

For more information on CTE Month, visit http://bit.ly/1Jd4hG6.

Help FCCLA Build Stronger Families …

One Meal at a Time!

During winter, nothing warms the heart more than a healthy, home-cooked meal. Add to that lively conversations, and you have a winning recipe for a memorable family dinner. But, more importantly, it builds stronger families, one meal at a time.

There are other significant benefits for families who eat dinner together. In surveys with American teens and their parents, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has “consistently found that the more often children have dinners with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs”.

For those and many other reasons, FCCLA has launched FCCLA@TheTable, a national initiative for our 200,000+ members who are being urged to take a pledge to plan, prepare, and share dinners for their families. It can be a one-time commitment or more.

To make @TheTable even more special, we are challenging members to pledge 70,000 meals — in honor of FCCLA’s 70th anniversary — before the 2015 National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., where states with the greatest percentage of pledged meals will be recognized.

Members who have taken the pledge have told us that their enthusiasm for FCCLA@TheTable has inspired other youth, peers who also want to join the campaign.

So, we issue you another challenge: recruit other youth to take the pledge, helping us reach our lofty goal of 70,000 pledged meals. Be sure to share the one-page flyer at the top of the “Resources” list on the FCCLA@TheTable website, and encourage youth to check out more details and resources, including winning conversation starters.

Help spread the word by taking a picture of your family meal, posting it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and tagging #FCCLAatTheTable!

Visit the website here: http://fcclaatthetable.org Take the pledge here: http://bit.ly/1CFje3N

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 11

FCCLA WEEK: February 9-14 2/9: Media Blitz Monday - NEC will visit “The Plaza” at the TODAY show on NBC. - State and local chapter officers are encouraged to leverage that exposure or create their own by visiting local news stations.

- Use press release template on FCCLA website to promote your activities.

2/10: Partner Advocacy Tuesday - “10,000 on the 10th” - encourage members to collect 10,000 pledges toward our goal of 70,000 meals pledged as part of the FCCLA@TheTable initiative.

- Budget, prepare and share a meal with your family, then contribute the same amount of money they spent on that meal to Share Our Strength.

2/11: Red Out for FCCLA Wednesday - Change your social media cover to the official “Together We Are United” cover (available here) then “spread the red” with photos and accounts of your favorite FCCLA memories and initiatives.

- WEAR RED and share photos of others wearing red in group shots to show we are “United”.

2/12: The Ultimate Throw Back Thursday - Capitalizing on “The Ultimate Leadership Experience” and our 70th anniversary, join the social media-wide appeal (#TUTBT).

- Members past and present should share photos of themselves and others from far back in FCCLA’s 70 year history.

2/13: Member Recognition Friday - National office will post video of staff thanking our amazing members, advisers, BOD, partners, etc. thanking them for being part of FCCLA family.

- Chapters/members encouraged to create /post videos and share their thanks via social media; decorate schools, set up “FCCLA” tables at lunch, etc.

2/14: Share it Saturday Did you know that our organization’s official flower is a red rose? In honor of Valentine’s Day, give an FCCLA red rose to a family member, to a loved one, or to members of your community. Why not go a step further and get your whole chapter to visit a local senior center and hand out red roses! Post pictures on social media, and be sure to tag #FCCLAWeek!

12 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org January/February 2015

Keeping Up with the Jones Connor Jones | Vice-President of Public Relations Hey, FCCLA! At the start of a new year, we usually think about the past 365 days and make a plan for the upcoming 52 weeks. There are 12 months ahead of us, and just what we will do in this new year is completely up to us. A new semester of school stretches before us. One has already passed. It is a milestone for sure, and I encourage you to make it a new start in your commitments to your family, your future career, and your community.

With the theme of the National Leadership Conference this year being “Together We Are Healthy”, I think it is an excellent time to start preparing with a few resolutions. I’ve considered my health, and I’ve set a few goals and encourage you to, too.

I have resolved to reboot my physical fitness program, and I’ve set a goal to run a mile in five minutes. I hope you hold me to it!

Your goal may not have to do with running or exercising, but I certainly hope it stretches you and helps you become a better leader in your communities today and in the world tomorrow. Perhaps you will resolve to spend less time in front of a screen and more time sleeping. Maybe you will resolve to do one act of kindness each day for the coming year. Whatever you decide, I’m one hundred percent behind you! FCCLA provides plenty of opportunities for us to grow and develop in 2015, and I want you to find ways to develop yourself and your chapters. Let me hear about it! If you want to participate in my challenge, just take a picture of yourself or your chapter participating in you resolution, and post it to social media with the tags #JonesRes2015 and #FCCLAFamily.

Remember, the best goals are SMART goals. They are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. You will be more successful in achieving your goals as you share them with others, so be sure to let your friends and family members know about your resolutions. And don’t forget to tell me (#JonesRes2015)! The past year has been amazing, and I can’t wait to see where we take FCCLA in 2015. Keep up the great work!

I’m going to be posting updates about my own efforts, and I would love for you to join me! Let me know how you resolve to make FCCLA and yourself better in 2015.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2015!

January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 13

Take an Interest 5 Things Happy People Do in the First 5 Minutes of the Day Are you a morning person? Do you wake up with pep in your step? Let’s be honest: many people struggle to get out of bed in the morning and face the day with energy and enthusiasm.

But there are some things you can do in the first 5 minutes of your morning to improve the outlook of your day. Check out these tips!

1. Don’t Hit Snooze

3. Stay Unplugged for an Hour

Scientists have found that hitting the snooze button can

You want to reach for your phone. You know you do, but

actually make you MORE tired. So hide your alarm clock

don’t! Instead of catching up on all the “real world” hap-

out of reach and use that early morning scavenger hunt to

penings from the overnight hours, listen to some music,

help you greet the day!

spend time with your family, or get ahead a few pages in that book you’re reading.

2. Start with an Affirmation You’re awesome! We all know you are, so tell yourself that.

4. Exercise Early

Each day is an opportunity to start a new page in the book

Research says that morning exercise can lead to better

of life, so make it count.

sleep, and exercise before breakfast can even help keep those extra pounds off. Need another benefit? If you get that workout in early, you don’t have it hanging over your head the rest of the day.

5. Eat Breakfast Seriously, it’s the most important meal of the day. And what better way to wake up than to make your tummy smile? That yummy start to your day can also improve your mood and reduce the afternoon doldrums.

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FCCLA in Action!

FCCLA/FFA Frozen in Time By: Allyson Busch, State Vice President of Recognition, Kansas The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America

a fun-filled night of dancing and refreshments. Mike

and FFA chapters held their annual winter formal dance

Lyons has been the DJ for several years and always does a

on December 13, 2014. The theme for this year’s dance

wonderful job selecting music for the dance. Mary Ann

was “Frozen in Time” with tons of icicles and snow that

Bauman took fantastic pictures again this year. Emily

made the room sparkle. This is the second decade that

Depew, chapter president, said, “This has been one of the

the formal has been happening, thanks to organization

best formals we have ever had. The dance had lots of student

sponsors Jay Sherrod and Pam Busch. The helpers for the

participation to prepare for the formal in advance, and the

formal were Amy Sherrod, Jerris Conway, Stephanie Adee

majority of students stayed the entire night.”

and Bobby Busch.

There were 91 members in attendance, which made for January/February 2015 www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 15

FCCLA will bring more than 8,000 of its student leaders, members, and advisers to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on July 5-9, 2015, for its National Leadership Conference.

The FCCLA National Leadership Conference provides opportunities for students and advisers to come together to hear inspiring speakers, expand leadership skills, and explore career pathways. The theme for this year’s conference is “Together We Are Healthy” and attendees will focus on peer leadership opportunities to address their generation’s health, wellness, nutrition, and fitness concerns.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (703) 476-4900 www.FCCLAINC.org