Visiting Winnipeg in February means that you get to see lots of snow and ice, that you need to make sure that you stay warm and you do not have to manage copious numbers of flying bugs. In 2015 it was also possible to attend the Canadian Symposium XIII of Home Economics/Family Studies/Human Ecology /Family and Consumer Science Education. This year was well attended by Home Economists from across Canada, USA, Egypt and Japan coming together to share and discuss focusing on the symposium theme of Issues and Directions.
UBC was well represented with seventeen academics and students offering ten papers across the weekend. The diversity of the presentations ranged from theoretical through to research on practice including topics on sustainability; innovation and inquiry; professional transitions and home economics classrooms as spaces for inclusion. Hearing about curriculum developments in other provinces, the work being undertaken at universities and opportunities to network with others in the field were well received. It was a great opportunity to promote the Masters of Education – Home Economics (also known as HEEL3) where the audience not only acknowledged but also celebrated this work being undertaken at UBC.
Submitted by Dr. Kerry Renwick