GRAND RAPIDS, Mic. – This October, members of the Illinois Extension Family and Consumer Science team serving Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion counties were honored at the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) 90th annual session. The theme for this year’s NEAFCS conference was “SPARK connections, innovations, communities, and growth”.
Rachel Mannen, Nutrition and Wellness Educator, Emily Harmon, Family Life Educator, and Vanessa Jones, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program Coordinator, received the First Place Central Region NEAFCS Family Health and Wellness award at the conference held October 20 - 23 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In receiving the award, Mannen, Harmon, and Jones were recognized for their innovative Double Feature program. This program combines Family Life and Nutrition education and has been offered across four counties since 2024. This program results in improving community wellness, knowledge, and partnerships through engaging, data-driven, and sustainable initiatives.
Established in 2012, the NEAFCS Family Health and Wellness Award recognizes innovative programs that promote and improve the health and wellness of families in areas such as nutrition, fitness, family meals, meal planning, time or stress management, healthy lifestyle, and more. The team’s commitment to meeting the needs of individuals, families, and communities is exemplary. This award is sponsored by the NEAFCS membership and awards fund.
To learn more about Illinois Extension’s Family Consumer Science program, visit extension.illinois.edu/Family-Life or contact Emily Harmon at ebaine@illinois.edu or 217-333-7672.
To learn more about Illinois Extension’s Nutrition and Wellness program, visit go.illinois.edu/CFIV-Nutrition or contact Rachel Mannen at rmannen@illinois.edu or 217-333-7672.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.