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The Minister of State for Health Promotion opens major Home Economics conference - Sustainable and Healthy Lifestyles: Policy, Pedagogy and Practice

The Minister of State for Health Promotion, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, TD, today (Friday 24th March 2017) opened a major international conference on Home Economics (Sustainable and Healthy Lifestyles: Policy, Pedagogy and Practice).

The Minister welcomed all of those attending the conference and said “Home Economics is a subject which has, as its core purpose, the empowerment of individuals and families to address practical, everyday problems and enables young people to become active and informed members of society. It has a key role to play in our efforts to create a healthier Ireland for us all. The school setting is the place where our young people develop the values, knowledge, and competencies to help them to live full and satisfying lives. It is also where they can develop an understanding of the importance of nutrition, budgeting, resource management and the importance of physical health and mental wellbeing. These are key skills for all of our young people to learn and I commend all those involved in Home Economics for the wonderful work they do.”

The theme of the conference is Sustainable and Healthy Lifestyles: Policy, Pedagogy and Practice, examining the role policy, education and practice contribute to sustainable and healthy lifestyles. The conference, which is being held at St. Angela’s College, Sligo, brings together professionals from five continents involved in education, working in the fields of health, sustainability, health promotion, and home economics.

Minister Corcoran Kennedy concluded “In the course of developing our Healthy Ireland policy, we have tried to learn from the examples and best practice of other countries. Events such as this provide a great opportunity for us to share knowledge and experience, and continue our efforts to create a healthier Ireland.”

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Note to Editors
St. Angela’s College is hosting the conference in collaboration with the International Federation of Home Economics, an international non - governmental organisation concerned with Home Economics and Consumer Science. The conference is supported by Healthy Ireland, the Government framework for action to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Ireland.