Through excursions in the United Kingdom, readings, discussions, and the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) conference attendance, family and consumer sciences students from UW-Stevens Point will explore research, practice, and education related to the field of FCS June 12-30, 2024.
The IFHE annual conference is an opportunity for students to learn about current global issues and research, best practices, and emerging trends in relation to FCS, as well as an excellent opportunity to network with other FCS professionals. The conference regularly attracts over 1,000 students and professionals from around the globe. The 2024 conference will take place in Galway, Ireland.
Led by Prof. Susan Turgeson, students will share their experiences along the way.
Travel Day: June 12, 2024 | Photos
After a long flight and trip from the airport, we needed to stretch. Took an almost three-mile walk to the Museum of the Home to enjoy the gardens and exhibits. The lives of women have often been difficult. Be sure to read about ” What Ladies Do.” Gardening was a permissible activity but kept to light trimming and pruning. It is unseasonably cool in the low 60s.
Prof. Susan Turgeson
June 13, 2024 | Photos
(I hope you understand the Bridgerton reference and this would be best if read in a British accent.)
Dearest Gentle Reader,
As we embark on our new journey we have found that our first day in London was rather tiresome. Our walk through London was astoundingly beautiful but yet extensive. The lack of restrooms had caught us Americans off guard. The Museum of The Home was a remarkable example of a woman’s life. We were able to waltz through the gardens filled with herbs and flowers with descriptions of how they were used. Inside of the museum there was an array of pictures and figurines that represented a woman’s duties within the home. However, after a long day of traveling we are more than ready for bed.
Yours truly,
Lady Can’t WhistleDown
(Claire Washkoviak)
June 14, 2024 | Photos
Hello from London!
We started off bright and early this morning for a busy day seeing Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor Castle and a quick stop at Buckingham Palace. A brisk morning walk through a quiet London brought us to the British Museum where we met up with our tour guide for the day, Valentina, and our driver, Valgur, who made the trip around the southwest of England entertaining. The trip started off at Stonehenge with what was described as rocks on a hill. It was much more than that as there is a vast history with why and how the rocks got to be there. Nobody is exactly sure how or why the Stonehenge was built but it can be used as a calendar to mark the summer and winter solstice.
Once we had finished our walk around it was back on the coach and off to Bath. A lovely drive through the English countryside, brought us to the Roman village of Bath, another place with a vast history. Built on a natural hot spring, today it is still used for its mineral healing properties. For our Bridgerton fans there were many sights for them to see as Bath is the main filming location for the show!
It was then off to Windsor Castle, after a rainy nap-filled drive, we drove into Windsor where the castle is a looming presence in the town. As a large compound that started off as a fortress for London it is now home to King Charles and Prince William and family. Pictures were not allowed inside the castle, but it is extremely grand and was being prepared for the Most Noble Order of the Garter Ceremony that will be held on Monday. The state apartments are amazingly decorated and just a small insight to what the life of the Royals must be like.
The day wrapped up back in London just a short walk to Buckingham Palace, so a quick stop was called for.
Hannah Steinfadt
June 15, 2024 | Photos
Hello, goodbye fellow Pointers! We took a break from our Octopuses Garden and left Maxwell’s Silver Hammer at home to Come Together to go to Abbey Road! We recreated the original album and bought some items from a nearby store. I signed my name on the wall of Abbey Road Studios! There were names here, there and everywhere but we did in fact find a spot. (How many Beatles song references did you catch?)
Then, we headed to the Design Museum and looked at all the amazing exhibits. They focused on the process of design through sustainability in everyday life. They had all of the old Apple products on display for us to see. We can all agree it was interesting to see everything lined up together. I’ve never seen an iBook before … those are huge compared to the laptops we have today.
After, we went to see Big Ben before it started pouring on us … and we mean pouring. A few of us ventured out to the Victoria and Albert Museum of where we saw the history of fashion, jewelry and some sculptures. Imagine wearing these items everyday … today was definitely an adventure but it was beautiful! (Except for the drenched clothing items which are still drying.)
Maya Ebben
June 16, 2024 | Photos
We rode the rail from London to Edinburgh today … and the cool damp weather followed us. We are staying at the University of Edinburgh for the next few days. Beautiful campus and views! Our meal was served by a bot at the campus bar. We had heard about them but hadn’t experienced one before. Excited for this leg of our journey!
Prof. Susan Turgeson
June 17, 2024 | Photos
“If you had the chance to change your fate, would ya?” (Merida, Brave). Today some of us went to prison. Not actual prison but we got to see where prisoners of war were kept in the Edinburgh Castle.
Before this, we started by traveling to the Royal Garden by the local bus which was double decker. We got to see downtown, the local businesses, and buildings including the beautiful Kings Hall Church. When we arrived at the Royal Botanic Garden, we were taken in by all its awe. We truly could’ve spent the whole day here exploring the beauty. After we were back on the bus heading to the Royal Mile.
When we arrived at the Royal Mile, we enjoyed some delicious food and shopped around until it was our time to go into the castle. Inside the castle we got to learn the history of Scotland and discover new information that some of us may not have known. With that, three of us chose to partake in teatime at the castle.
After the castle we took the bus back to Edinburgh College and relaxed the rest of the night, until Lochcarron tomorrow.
Katie Sand
June 18, 2024 | Photos
We started the day with a tour of Lochcarron, a well known textile mill in Scotland. They make fabric for many of the traditional kilts and for many designer companies such as Burberry, Chanel and Dior … just to name a few. We were able to see how the fabric is made from start to finish, from the spinning and dyeing of the wool all the way to distribution. The most amazing part is every piece of fabric that is made in their factory is hand checked and fixed to ensure top quality. You can’t get that anywhere else!
After our tour, our group split their own ways. Half of us went to a local zoo while the other half hiked Arthur’s Seat, a formation created by glaciers. The view at the top was incredible! We also had to celebrate with ice cream once we got back to the bottom. 🙂
We ended the day with dinner at a very typical Scottish restaurant.
Stacia Nowaczyk
June 19, 2024 | Photos
On to the Emerald Isle as we say goodbye to Scotland today! Our first week has gone by quickly! We got to the Edinburgh Airport and had a minor issue as one of our passenger’s ticket was not recognized during the check in process. Prime example of why you get to the airport early! The airport staff was very helpful and our agent, Bradley, was able to help us navigate the problem with limited stress.
Then, we experienced an unannounced gate change to the other end of the airport. We were at gate1 and got changed to gate 27. We hustled through the mall (yes, looked more like a mall than a terminal) and arrived at the gate in time to board. We had a small plane and loaded from the tarmac.
The weather was the nicest it has been today. We arrived in Dublin and had an interesting ride to Trinity College on a large tour bus driven by what seemed to be an inexperienced driver. I have never had a bus do a three-point turn in downtown city traffic before. We finally found our way to our lodgings. We each have individual rooms in an apartment which has a shared bathroom, common space and kitchen. We will be here until Sunday.
Prof. Susan Turgeson
June 20, 2024 | Photos
Good morning from the other side of the rainbow! As someone who is Irish, it is very exciting to be exploring the city of Dublin and all it has to offer.
We started our day off with a delicious breakfast from the Lemon Jelly Cafe. We had a celebrity sighting seeing Ken from the movie Barbie
. We then got a tour and the history of the Jameson Distillery. The tour was hands-on and we got to use all of our senses for the experience. Fortunately, we got lucky enough to taste test four different whiskeys that they produce. A handful of us also purchased some whiskey that isn’t sold in the United States!
We then walked to the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History. There were four different levels that we could explore and see all the unique designs. There was everything ranging from clothing to jewelry to the styles and details of the military. It was neat seeing the perspectives of the artists and it was like traveling back in time.
After that we walked back towards Trinity College to find some much needed food and explore what the city has to offer. We headed to bed early as we have an early morning adventure tomorrow.
Lynzie Nightengale
June 21, 2024 | Photos
Hello!! My name is Lauren Hayes and I will be talking about our extensive adventure today. A 12-hour tour with three stops: Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle and Stone, and Cahir Castle.
Our first stop of the day, the Rock of Cashel is more than just a rock. There is a cathedral, a graveyard (which had a tombstone with one of my family’s names!), and the King of Muenster once resided here. There were many places throughout the grounds that you could see were clearly used for defense. This is considered to be a partial structure, as the walls were still intact but there is no roof.
Onto Blarney Castle and Gardens! On the drive through the Irish countryside we drove past many farms which are very important to the Irish economy. These farms are also all grass fed – and they produce beef, cheese, barley, wheat and many more. The most common type of cheese made here is cheddar! Our tour guide also told us that Irish crisps (chips) are the best here, so naturally I had to try some, and he was right!
Blarney Castle was built by Dermot MacCarthy in 1446. Today, this is also a partial structure as there is no roof anymore. At the grounds, they have many different areas to explore. The famous Blarney Stone, Ireland’s only poisonous garden, caves, dungeons, a lookout tower and so much more. To kiss the Blarney Stone, we waited in the cold rain for about two hours, and we had to climb some steep and narrow spiral steps. We grabbed a bite to eat and then we headed back to the bus for our next stop!
Throughout our guided tour of Cahir Castle, we learned that the original structure finished in 1220, and modifications have been made since – but it has kept most of its original structures. Cahir Castle is known for its extensive ways of defense. Between bow and arrow, pouring hot water onto enemies, and trapping areas, this castle has one of the best defense lines known. After our tour and walking around the castle we are back on the bus to head back to Dublin. It was a great day!
Lauren Hayes
June 22, 2024 | Photos
Good morning Dublin, today is our last full day here! After a long adventures day yesterday, we are slowing things down a bit today! We broke off into a few groups right away to do activities that interested us most! Some of us returned to Lemon Jelly for another delicious breakfast and strolled through the Temple Bar area!
Parts of the group were able to visit Christ Cathedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral & Park, Dublinia, The Zoo, and The Famine Museum. Each location holds its own bit of history of Ireland and how it has become such a memorable place today! Along our stroll we stopped to see over 3,000 different animals preserved at the Natural History Museum, and gorgeous paintings, sculptures and rooms at the National Gallery. Some of us will be heading off to do a Guinness tour this afternoon and then back our rooms to prepare for our train ride to Galway tomorrow!
Sláinte!
Evelyn Ditzler
June 23, 2024 | Photos
Welcome to the International Federation of Home Economics 2024 Conference!
We departed from Dublin and traveled all the way to Galway for our conference. Stay tuned for the amazing events that will be happening throughout this week.
We made our way to Dunlin Village at the University of Galway where we will be staying. After relaxing, we got some dinner and made our way to the opening reception. We all got fancy water bottles and coffee mugs that are reusable! We enjoyed some yummy appetizers and enjoyed those while we watched and listened to traditional Irish dance and music. See you tomorrow!
Maya Ebben
June 24, 2024 | Photos
It’s here day 1 of the IFHE Conference! Our morning started early with breakfast all together then off to the opening ceremony. We were welcomed by various members of the conference organizers and were treated to some traditional Irish music performed by students from the host university. Our first keynote speaker was Dr. Maurie Cohan from New Jersey Institute of Technology. He talked about sustainability and the impact that we as FCS teachers have had and can have in the world of sustainability. The second keynote speaker was Professor Daniel Fischer from Leuphana University of Lüneberg. He talked about sustainability in education and how aware our students are of the changing environment.
It was then time for a much-needed stretch and refreshment break before heading into our breakout sessions for the morning. The group split in two going to listen to research presentations. One group went to presentations on clothing, fashion and design while the other went to food and health presentations. Both were very interesting and informative. Lunch was provided today, breaking some of us out of our comfort zone to try a new dish of chicken coconut curry.
The afternoon was another split of the group with many of us going different ways. I went to an interesting discussion about how we as FCS professionals can help families affected by incarceration.
Overall, a great first day of the conference and we are all looking forward to the next few days of learning.
Hannah Steinfadt
June 25, 2024 | Photos
Well we are still searching for a leprechaun … but we are lucky enough to be at our second day of the International Federation of Home Economics Conference! The morning started off again with two keynote speakers, the first being Professor Patrick Dolan from the University of Galway. He spoke about how to support families with adversity. The second keynote speaker was Dr. Manisha Anantharaman from the Center of Sociology Organization. She talked about how the community needs to take action for sustainability and how it connects to class and gender.
After that we had the opportunity to attend more breakout sessions. There was a range of choices from educational well being to entrepreneurship to hearing from teachers in Ireland and how it differs from around the world. I chose to attend the session with the Ireland teachers and it was very beneficial being a recent graduate. The speakers shared the experiences that happen in their schools and some struggles that take place in the classroom.
After finishing up conference activities for today a few of us decided to be a little adventurous and get some tattoos! We all decided to get 3-leaf clovers in honor of being in Ireland and now we have a permanent souvenir! We then explored the city and visited many shops and got gelato (again ).
To finish off the day we all came back together to celebrate Taco Tuesday
and have a big group dinner.
Lynzie Nightengale
June 26, 2024 #1 | Photos
Hello day 3 of the conference. Today were technical tours and even though we are in Ireland two of our Wisconsin hearts couldn’t resist a farm tour. We got to see firsthand how they farm here in Ireland compared to Wisconsin. We learned more about breeding, caring and technical advancements. We got to see how apps are available to check on the animals if birthing. Also, apps that can be used to turn on and off the electric fences. The animals were super friendly and loved pets. What a great experience!
Katie Sand
June 26, 2024 #2 | Photos
Hello from Galway! Today, Stacia, Lindsey, and I decided to take on “A Day in the Life of an Irish Home Economics Teacher.” We were lucky enough to tour an Irish Post Primary School and their home economic facilities. This included three classrooms, two having kitchens, and one used mostly for textile purposes. We learned that in this school the ratio of girls to boys is about 20:3. We also learned that these students are responsible for buying and bringing in their own food to cook with, while in our schools it is provided for them.
Another interesting fact was that each Home Economics program in Ireland takes a Junior Cycle practical exam and a Senior Cycle practical exam. It depends on which subject you are taking, but for culinary it is a 50% written exam and 50% practical exam (cooking). This exam is worth 80% of your final grade.
Today was such an interesting and amazing day, and we really enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between classrooms here and back in the U.S.
Lauren Hayes
June 26, 2024 #3 | Photos
On our journey to the Cliffs of Moher, we drove through some very tight winding roads. Our first stop, however, made the drive worth it. We stopped to stretch our legs at Burren National Park and enjoyed a brief tour through the flower meadows. The views of the nearby hills were lovely, and we learned about all the different flora that grows annually.
We stopped to have a lovely lunch in Doolin before we went to the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs themselves were absolutely stunning! Thankfully the weather held up for us while we there so that some good photos could be taken! Our journey home was met with Ireland’s twistiest road and lots of rain.
Evelyn Ditzler
June 27, 2024 | Photos
Rain, rain go away, come again another day. Hello! It is day 4 of the IFHE Conference and the weather was not in our favor. Maya, Lynzie and I headed on over to Mr. Waffle and it was delicious! So good we forgot to take a picture before.
At the conference our first keynote speaker was Viv Ellis, the dean of the Faculty of Education at Monash University in Melbourne. He is a global expert on teacher education. Unfortunately he was unable to speak to us in person, but he was able to provide a Zoom presentation. He was able to speak on how COVID-19 effected the world and the education system. While COVID-19 had its downsides, it has taught us the importance of social interaction and physical activity.
Our second keynote speakers were Dr. Etienne Wenger-Trayner and Dr. Beverly Wenger-Trayner. They both are internationally renowned social learning consultants and theorists. After their speeches we were then able to break up into small groups. I chose to attend the Responsible Living lecture. My two favorite presentations from this section were from our second speakers (Susan Zies and Marie Economos of Ohio State University Extension) spoke to us about the practices of Safe Medication for Better Health. My other favorite was by Finding Skills to Reduce Clutter which was presented by Pamela Turner and Susan Moore of the University of Georgia.
Many of the other UWSP students attended different lectures where they were able to broaden their knowledge on various topics including family studies, family resource management and food consumption.
After these presentations we split up for lunch. Some of us attended the delicious sandwich lunch provided by the conference/school. Others decided to head to town and give the Dough Bros a try. Very delicious pizza.
Yours Truly,
The Galway Girls
(Claire Washkoviak)
June 28, 2024 | Photos
Hello, today is the final full day of our trip as we leave bright and early tomorrow morning. Today we started our morning with our two keynote speakers. Our first speaker was Dr. Tim Lang, professor emeritus of food policy at City University of London’s Centre for Food Policy, speaking about food resilience. His talk was very thought provoking on the purpose of food, how food is used, and how food should be used as crisis prevention.
Our second speaker was Dr. Louise Dye, chartered health psychologist and co-director of the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield, speaking about the connection of nutrition and cognitive health and wellbeing across the lifespan. She touched on the correlation between various nutrients such as Omega 3 fatty acids, iron and glucose on cognitive function and development. She also focused on the importance of breakfast for children and how it affects them in school. Dr. Dye also brought forward thoughts on food insecurity and how to preserve cognitive ability in later life. This speaker brought many ideas into her speech, yet connected it so well. It was a great session.
We then split off into our various breakout sessions. Some of us attended a very interesting sessions focused on AI and food education. This session included discussion on how we can utilize AI in classrooms, how to teach and improve AI, and the challenges of AI.
Later, we regrouped for the closing ceremony filled with many wonderful speeches, IFHE traditions and live music! We finished off the night getting all dolled up and attending the gala banquet. The food was incredible!
Overall, it was a great way to end our trip and coming home tomorrow will be bittersweet.
Stacia Nowaczyk
June 29, 2024 | Photos
Our 17-day UWSP study abroad trip comes to an end. We traveled by planes, trains and automobiles throughout England, Scotland and Ireland. We brought back lots of knowledge about life in other countries but no matter how long we were there, driving on the left side of the road just seemed wrong.
While it was rainy in Ireland, we didn’t get to see a rainbow and thus, no pots of gold were collected. We have many memories, souvenirs and photos to share with our families and friends though.
The group had a marvelous time, but everyone is excited to be back and enjoy the comforts of home. The first night in our own beds will be amazing!
When wishing someone goodbye, we often say “Slán go fóill.” Here, “slán” means “goodbye” and “go fóill” means “for now.”
Slán go fóill,
Prof. Susan Turgeson