New Mexico State University’s Family and Consumer Science Department, in partnership with the TRIO Upward Bound program, held a weeklong camp for Hatch Valley High School students this summer.
The camp focused on four different areas of learning, including fashion merchandising and design; healthy communication, stress management, and careers in marriage and family therapy; and family and consumer sciences education. Participants gave presentations incorporating everything they learned all week as they sought to address the issue of revitalizing an underutilized community center.
“The camp’s goal was to introduce the students to potential degree and career opportunities in FCS,” said Laura Bittner, Extension health and wellbeing specialist and Family and Consumer Sciences associate department head.
Survey results indicated the students gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and learned specific information they planned to share with their families and friends, including food safety, breathing exercises, cooking techniques and recipes, and nutrition. The students also indicated they felt more comfortable on the NMSU campus and were more likely to attend NMSU because of their participation in the camp.
A TRIO member said, “I liked learning that food science goes beyond what I imagined. I have grasped the understanding of how people work to better the food we consume and the marketing that happens to make sure people are compelled to consume certain products. I will share with my mom that the food we eat goes through many tests to make sure it is safe to consume.”
Camp participants developed a deeper appreciation of how various fields within Family and Consumer Sciences contribute to the well-being of families, homes, communities, and organizations, Bittner said.
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Written by Jazmyn Garcia
CUTLINE: A student works hard sketching her favorite food at New Mexico State University’s Family and Consumer Science camp for Hatch Valley High School TRIO Upward Bound students in June. (NMSU photo by Jazmyn Garcia)