Pitt State Family & Consumer Sciences

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Pitt State Family & Consumer Sciences

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Our FCS programs help you make a difference in the lives of children, families, and communities.

The Family & Consumer Sciences Department is one of the two original programs started on campus back in 1903. Our new building (2003), represents the latest in features for the 21st century in the fields of Early Childhood, Interior Design, Fashion Merchandising, Individual and Family Management and FCS Teacher Education. The Family and Consumer Sciences professional association is the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS.org).

10/23/2026

Pete’s Garden seeks its first Executive Director for the Kids Feeding Kids program. Lead fundraising, strategic partnerships, and program growth for an impactful program.

10/22/2026

🧵✂️ Sewing is more than a skill—it’s a lesson in creativity, problem-solving, and practical life!

In FCS 355: Construction Techniques, students learn the fundamentals of constructing basic garments and/or home furnishings. Students explore fabric selection, pattern choice or development, fitting and alteration, and standards for quality construction.

Why is this important for future FCS educators? 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 Many of our graduates will teach sewing in their own FCS classrooms, so they need both the technical skills and the confidence to guide their future students through the process.

But sewing also connects to so many of the core areas of Family and Consumer Sciences:

🧵 Creativity & self-expression — turning an idea into something tangible
🧠 Problem-solving — figuring out how to fix, adjust, or improve a project
💰 Consumer skills — understanding fabric quality, cost, value, and purchasing decisions
♻️ Sustainability — repairing, repurposing, and extending the life of clothing and textiles
📏 Math & precision — measuring, calculating, following patterns, and working accurately
💪 Independence & life skills — developing skills that can be used throughout life
🎯 Perseverance — learning that mistakes are part of the process and can often be fixed!
🏠 Resource management — making thoughtful decisions about time, materials, and money
❤️ Personal and family connections — creating, repairing, and sharing handmade items

That’s the beauty of FCS: a single skill can open the door to lessons in creativity, resource management, sustainability, decision-making, and so much more!

🧵 What was your favorite thing to sew—or what would you love to learn to sew?

10/19/2026

🌟 Alumni Spotlight: Kaitlynn Lee 🌟

We’re excited to feature Kaitlynn Lee, who graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2015 with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Community and Family Services!

🏡 After graduation, Kaitlynn stayed home with her children while running an in-home daycare. Once her children started school, she began working in USD 250 schools before eventually finding her way back to Pitt State. Today, she serves as an Administrative Associate in the Kelce College of Business at Pittsburg State University.

🎓 Kaitlynn is also continuing her education and is currently working toward her MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources.

💡 Skills from Pitt State she uses every day:
"I work with a lot of faculty, staff, and students. Understanding why people are the way they are allows me to be understanding and empathetic to their unique situations. Professional and Social Skills was a course that I use every day in the workplace."

💛 Favorite Pitt State memory:
One of Kaitlynn's favorite experiences was traveling to the AAFCS conference in St. Louis with the Kansas Association for Family and Consumer Sciences. She enjoyed the opportunity to have fun, build connections, and network with members of other chapters from across the region.

🎓 Advice for current students:
"You may pick a path now that sounds like it's the one, but life throws curveballs. Hang in there, and what is meant to be will be. You've got this!"

👏 Kaitlynn's journey is a wonderful reminder that a Family and Consumer Sciences degree can provide a foundation for many different career paths. The skills developed through FCS—communication, empathy, understanding people, and professional relationships—can be valuable in virtually any workplace.

10/15/2026

🎨 Art you can touch, explore, and create!

Our Little Gorillas Preschool sensory table recently became a watery world inspired by Claude Monet's art! 🌸💧 Filled with aquarium rocks, sparkly jewels, toy fish and frogs, and handmade “lily pads,” the table invited children to explore the colors, textures, and possibilities of water lilies—much like those found in Monet’s famous paintings.

But sensory play is about so much more than exploring materials! ✨

As children scoop, pour, sort, move, arrange, and manipulate materials, they strengthen their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. At the same time, open-ended sensory play gives children the freedom to experiment, make choices, and create their own ideas. There is no single “right” way to play—which leaves plenty of room for creativity, imagination, and discovery. 👐💡

This is one of the many ways we connect art and learning at Little Gorillas: sometimes the best way to explore a work of art is to experience its ideas with all of your senses! 🎨🌿

10/12/2026

🌟 Alumni Spotlight: Kari (Kennard) Cronister 🌟

We're proud to highlight Kari (Kennard) Cronister, who graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2005 with a degree in Child Development. She continued her education at Pitt State, earning a master's degree in Career and Technical Education with an emphasis in College Teaching in 2015.

👶 Today, Kari serves as the Director of New Foundations, where she is helping expand access to high-quality early childhood education in Crawford County.

💛 Career journey:
After graduation, Kari spent 17 years as the supervising lead teacher at Pitt State's Little Gorillas Preschool, where she worked with many young children and future early childhood professionals.

🏫 Kari and fellow PSU alum Kristina Cullison (ECU, 2015) partnered to create a high-quality childcare center to serve Crawford County. Today, New Foundations is enrolling children and building a team of early childhood professionals to serve up to 210 children.

📚 Kari also works part-time with Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, providing professional development for early childhood educators and teaching CPR and First Aid courses throughout the region.

🎓 Advice for current students:
"Never give up, don't settle, and follow your dreams. It will take time, but anything is possible when you work hard."

👏 Kari's career is a wonderful example of how Pitt State graduates continue to strengthen children, families, and communities through leadership, innovation, and a passion for early childhood education.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of children and families!

10/09/2026

📣💜 Calling all Pitt State Eta Chapter Phi Upsilon Omicron Alumni!

It’s time to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate the Phi U family! We’re planning an ✨ Autumn Appetizers with Alumni ✨ event and would love to see many of our Phi Upsilon Omicron alumni back on campus!

Join us for an evening of appetizers, conversation, memories, and catching up with fellow Phi U friends.

📅 Tuesday, November 3
⏰ 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Whether you graduated recently or it’s been a few decades since your Phi U days, we’d love to have you join us! ❤️ 🦍 💛

📧 For more information and to RSVP, please contact Sydney Morrison at [email protected].

Come back home to Pitt State and reconnect with your Phi U family! 💜🕯️🏠

10/08/2026

Students in FCS 480: Dynamics of Family Relationships took on the Marshmallow Challenge! Working in teams, students used limited materials to build the tallest freestanding structure possible.

The activity highlighted how individual strengths, diverse perspectives, communication, and collaboration all contribute to reaching a common goal—important concepts when studying families and relationships. Just like in families, each person brings something different to the table, and those differences can become strengths when we work together. 🍝🤝

10/05/2026

🌟 Alumni Spotlight: Courtney Martinie 🌟

We're excited to feature Courtney Martinie, who graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2020 with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Education. She later earned her master's degree in Career and Technical Education, demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth.

🍎 After graduation, Courtney began her career as a long-term substitute teacher at Liberty North High School in Liberty, Missouri, during the spring of 2021. She then taught Family and Consumer Sciences at Carthage High School in Carthage, Missouri, from 2021–2026. Today, she is beginning a new chapter as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Pittsburg Community Middle School for the 2026–2027 school year.

💡 Skills from Pitt State she uses every day:
• Building engaging curriculum
• Being flexible and collaborating with others
• Effective classroom management

💛 Favorite Pitt State memories:
Serving as president of Phi Upsilon Omicron and taking a field trip with Goldie Prelogar-Hernandez and Dr. Sheila Cook to Kansas City to tour Rightfully Sewn.

🎓 Advice for current students:
"Focus on the good and work hard."

👏 We are proud of Courtney's dedication to Family and Consumer Sciences education and can't wait to see the positive impact she continues to make in the classroom. Congratulations, Courtney, and thank you for representing Pitt State so well!

10/01/2026

🎓 🦍 Calling all FCS Alumni!

We want to celebrate YOU! Help us share the incredible things our graduates are doing by completing our quick alumni update form. Whether you're shaping young minds, supporting families, or making an impact in your community—we’d love to highlight your story!

⭐ Your responses may be featured in our Alumni Spotlight series that we've been running since summer. The stories have reached many people, spreading the word about the importance of our field.

⏰ It only takes 5–10 minutes to complete—help us stay connected and showcase our graduates' amazing work!

🔗 https://forms.office.com/r/60zKwmhAh8

09/30/2026

Stop by the FCS Building now through 1:15 p.m. for some soda and popcorn! 🍿🥤

FCS majors can also learn more about FCCLA, KAFCS/AAFCS, and Phi U at our FCS Student Organization Open House. We hope to see you there!

Address

1701 S Broadway Street
Pittsburg, KS
66762

Telephone

+16202354457

Website

https://www.pittstate.edu/online/academic-programs/family-and-consumer-sciences/index.html

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