What the Family Studies?

A classroom can cover identity, family diversity, privilege, racism, and systemic barriers and still feel safe, but only if we build the conditions on purpose. We’re kicking off Season 5 with a conversation that gets real about what equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging look like in Ontario Family Studies classrooms when the lesson plan meets real students, real communities, and real fear of “saying the wrong thing.” 

We are  joined by Shafiq Aziz from Harmony Movement, an equity and social justice advocate and Toronto District School Board educator, to unpack what actually helps. We talk about psychological safety as more than a buzzword, why trust has to come before the hardest conversations, and how educators can stop letting fear shrink the curriculum. Shafiq shares a simple but powerful strategy: talk to colleagues, name the concern, and plan with care instead of waiting for perfect words. 

We also dig into storytelling as an anchor practice for inclusive teaching. When we model our own stories and invite student voice, identity work becomes human, not abstract. Shafiq shares a moment from a food and culture class when students insisted they “don’t have a culture,” and how that opens a better conversation about belonging, Canadian identity, and diversity beyond what’s visible. We close with practical resources, including Harmony Movement’s Words Matter campaign and the Educators Equity Companion Guide, plus how schools can connect for tailored workshops for students, staff, administrators, and families. 

For more information about The Harmony Movement check out their website at https://harmony.ca/. 

If this helps you teach with more confidence and care, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find the podcast. What’s one storytelling prompt you could try tomorrow?  

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Money advice is everywhere, yet so many of us still feel stressed, avoid our bank accounts, or repeat habits we promised we would stop. We sit down with Canadian money expert Jessica Morehouse, certified financial counsellor, podcast host, and author of Everything But Money, to talk about the side of personal finance that rarely gets taught: behaviour, emotions, and the stories we absorb about money long before we earn our first paycheque. 

We dig into why traditional financial literacy lessons are helpful but incomplete. Jessica explains how money struggles can be rooted in shame, avoidance, social comparison, and even attachment patterns, plus how our consumer culture is built to push spending whether or not it supports our goals. We also talk about empathy in money conversations and why “just follow these steps” can backfire when someone feels judged or overwhelmed. 

Because so many of our listeners are Ontario Family Studies educators, we get practical about the classroom. Jessica shares ways to make money talk safer for students, including anonymous question systems, guiding teens away from scams and misinformation on social media, and using more neutral, mindful language that does not trigger embarrassment or fear. 

Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can bring healthier money conversations into their schools.

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Your closet isn’t just personal style, it’s a supply chain, a set of climate impacts, and a story about how we learn to consume. We sit down with Dara Gellman, Youth Education Program Leader at Fashion Takes Action, to talk about sustainable fashion in schools and why fashion literacy belongs in family studies, home economics, and beyond. If you’ve ever wanted to teach fast fashion, textile waste, and climate change without making students feel judged for what they wear, this conversation gives you a clear, student-centred path forward. 

We dig into how Fashion Takes Action supports educators with ready-to-use lesson plans, unit plans, and workshops through their My Clothes, My World program, designed so teachers don’t need to be sustainability experts to get started. Dara shares how she frames the topic around empowerment instead of blame, including the reality that many young people have limited control over what they buy or wear. We also unpack what hopeful action looks like in the classroom, from caring for clothes longer and swapping to building a culture of collective change. 

If you are interested in learning  more consider signing up for OFSHEEA' and FTA's workshop - Fashion, Sustainability & Your Classroom on May 12, 2026 at 7pm.    Registration information can be found here https://forms.gle/Hey6UpkD2LfZkZwG6 

For more information about Fashion Takes Action and the work they do in classroom check out their website at  https://www.fashiontakesaction.com/

Subscribe for more practical conversations for educators, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers across Canada can find these sustainable fashion teaching ideas.

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A school food program doesn’t have to start with a big budget, a greenhouse, or a perfect plan. We’re joined by Carolyn Webb from Farm to Cafeteria Canada to talk about the small, practical moves that make food literacy come alive in Canadian schools, especially in Family Studies and foods classrooms where students are ready to learn by doing.

We unpack Farm to Cafeteria Canada’s four pillars (grow, connect, fund, inform) and what they look like on the ground: windowsill growing, sprouts, hydroponics, milk-crate gardens students can take home for summer, and simple ways to build momentum when space, time, and climate feel like brick walls. Carolyn also shares what makes school garden programs and farm to school initiatives sustainable over time: shared leadership, clear roles, and community partners who actually want to be part of the learning.

We also dig into grant opportunities that can turn a “someday” idea into a real school food program, including Farm to School Canada grants, starter funding like Dig In, and Indigenous Foodways support that centres Indigenous food sovereignty, land-based learning, and reciprocity with elders and knowledge keepers. Along the way, we talk student engagement, culturally relevant menus, and how local sustainable food purchasing can ripple beyond the cafeteria.

If you’re ready to start small and build something meaningful, listen now, share this with a colleague, and subscribe, rate, and review the podcast so more educators can find these ideas. What’s one food literacy project you want to try next?

Here are some of the links and resources Carolyn shared in the episode.  

• Farm to Cafeteria Canada Resource Centre – has videos, toolkits, other resources on a range of themes relevant to farm to school programs
• Local Food Literacy in Schools FAQ (Sustain Ontario)
• Farm to Cafeteria Canada grant opportunities (we have 2 open grant offerings – Farm to School Canada Grants and Indigenous Foodways in Schools Grants – due May 8.
• National School Food Forum – to be held June 2-4, 2026 in Montreal
• Inspiring stories on the F2CC website 

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What if nutrition class sparked confidence instead of calorie anxiety? We sit down with Denise Hamburger, founder of the non-profit organization Be Real USA, to explore how schools can replace diet culture with body-inclusive, research-based teaching that actually helps students thrive. From early childhood influences to social media’s pressure cooker, we map out a clearer path: skills over shame, curiosity over control, and self-compassion over self-criticism.

Together we unpack two free curricula making waves internationally. Let’s Eat teaches weight-neutral nutrition by centring hunger and fullness cues, enjoyment, and energy planning. BodyKind teaches teens to catch comparison spirals and respond like a good friend would—by rejecting unrealistic appearance ideals and accepting human imperfection through compassion. 

We share practical moves you can use tomorrow—drop appearance comments, teach universal care skills without BMI talk, and swap calorie counting for energy planning and mindful reflection. Denise also explains how educators and parents can access a plethora of free resources.

Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to help more educators build body-inclusive classrooms that last.

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Curiosity can shift a classroom, but access transforms it. We sit down with Kelly Daynard, executive director of Farm and Food Care Ontario, to unpack how family studies educators can move beyond food myths and give students a clear view of Canadian agriculture. From anxiety about additives to confusion over animal welfare and biotechnology, we trace why fears grow when fewer Canadians live on farms—and how direct farmer voices change the conversation.

We walk through practical tools you can use tomorrow. FarmFood360’s virtual tours bring mushroom farms, dairy barns, and orchards to any device, while live field trips let students ask farmers questions in real time. Pair these experiences with Agscape and Agriculture in the Classroom Canada’s curriculum-linked activities to teach sustainability, supply chains, soil health, and food safety with confidence. We also dive into The Real Dirt on Farming, a research-backed guide that tackles hot-button topics—organic and conventional systems, climate-smart practices, food waste, and the realities of buying local—so inquiry projects rest on credible evidence.

Careers get a spotlight too. Agriculture today spans coding, drone imaging,  dietetics, food styling, and sustainability analytics, with four jobs waiting for every agriculture grad at the University of Guelph. As our markets diversify, Ontario’s sector is testing crops like okra and eggplant, expanding lamb and goat farming, and sharing recipes that reflect new Canadians’ traditions. The biggest takeaway might be the most human: 97% of Canadian farms are family-owned or family-run, innovating fast while holding generations of stewardship.

If you teach food and nutrition—or simply want your students to trust what’s on their plate—this conversation arms you with sources, stories, and step-by-step ideas. Explore FarmFood360, Real Dirt on Farming, and Faces Behind Food, then bring those voices into your lessons.  You can link to these amazing resources at  https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/educators-guides/

Follow, share, and leave a rating so more educators can find tools that make food literacy real.

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Facebook @Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators' Association
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What happens when a high school sewing class plants a seed that grows into a life of craft, community, and sustainable fashion? We sit down with textile artist Julia Masci to trace the arc from hemp baby clothes and block printing to eco-printing, plant dyes, and an upcycling practice that rescues garments and re-imagines colour with leaves, flowers, and time. Along the way, we unpack how curiosity matured into a values-driven studio and why customers light up when they learn that a goldenrod field can become a dress they’ll love for years.

For educators, we map classroom-ready approaches to eco-printing and repair, plus practical ways to connect fibre science, ethical sourcing, and consumer choices to real-world projects that students can finish and wear.

We also take on the hard questions behind sustainability. Does the world need more clothes? How do we weigh organic fibres against fashion waste? Julia’s rejuvenated line—thrifted pieces mended and plant-dyed—offers one answer: keep materials in use, add story and skill, and show people how to love what they already own.

If you’re ready to learn more about Julia's work, workshop schedules and other resources be sure to check out her website https://juliamasci.com/. If this conversation sparked ideas for your classroom or your closet, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more makers and educators can find us.

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Facebook @Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators' Association
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Curious how a national think tank turns dense research into tools you can use tomorrow? We sit down with the Vanier Institute of the Family to explore their bridge‑building mission, the inclusive way they define family, and the resources that make complex evidence clear and actionable for classrooms, community organizations, and policy.
 
 Laurel  Sakaluk  shares her surprising move from cytogenetics to family studies and policy, revealing why real progress happens when researchers, governments, and service providers work together. Nathan Battams demystifies “knowledge mobilization,” showing how plain‑language briefs, data summaries, and infographics bring insights from Statistics Canada and academic journals to a broad audience. Together, we unpack the Family Diversities and Well‑Being Framework—three practical lenses (structure, work, identity) that help you see who’s missing in the conversation and how policy can truly support diverse families.
 
 We also examine the big trends reshaping family life: record‑low fertility and what it means for population growth and caregiving; the rise of mothers’ paid work and growth in fathers’ unpaid care; and the ongoing diversification of identity across immigration, race, language, and gender. You’ll hear how these shifts affect everything from childcare and labour markets to equity and belonging, and why one‑size‑fits‑all solutions fall short.
 
 As a teacher of family studies/social science, you’ll find immediate takeaways: use Families Count as a concise primer, teach data literacy with accessible charts, spark evidence‑informed debate, and guide projects that reflect real communities. We close with where to find the full resource library, how to follow upcoming releases, and ideas to bring this material straight into your classroom.

To learn more about the Vanier Institute and its definition and functions of the family check out  https://vanierinstitute.ca/projects/definition-of-family/ 

You can learn more about the Family Diversities and Wellbeing Framework at  https://vanierinstitute.ca/projects/family-diversities-and-wellbeing-framework/

The Families Count research can be found at  https://vanierinstitute.ca/families-count-2024/ 

Be sure to bookmark this website and follow the Vanier Institute on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/vanierinstitute

 Enjoyed this conversation? Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review telling us how you will use the many resources of the Vanier Institute in your classroom. 

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Hungry for resources that actually work with real students, real schedules, and real constraints? We’re kicking off a new season by opening the door to a redesigned OFSHEEA website and five major projects built to make Family Studies more inclusive, practical, and engaging. With co-hosts Catherine and Katie and board members Carrie, Michelyn, and Corrine, we explore new course plans, fresh assessment approaches, and mini-units that meet learners where they live—at home, at work, and around the table.

We start with the website overhaul: cleaner navigation, aligned member resources, and a steady pipeline for teacher-created materials. Then we dive into the Grade 11 Food & Culture plan, reframed around storytelling instead of a “world tour of cuisines.” Safety and international kitchen norms lead into appreciating culture without appropriation, tracing cuisines through trade and migration, exploring global healthy eating patterns and staple foods, and closing with etiquette, celebrations, and Canadian foodways. The culminating task invites students to craft their personal food story, connecting identity to practice.

Next up is a full Grade 9/10 Food & Nutrition roadmap that respects timetable churn, foregrounds community building and inquiry skills, and carefully addresses body image with media literacy and harm reduction. We also unveil a renewed Grade 11 Raising Healthy Children plan organized into five units from readiness and birth to development and today’s family challenges, with clear guidance for sensitive topics and ideas on how to engage students in this important learning.

Finally, we spotlight financial literacy mini-units designed for Family Studies’ unique strength: money is relational. From smart teen shopping in Grade 10 Clothing and meal planning in HFN to running a childcare centre in HPW/HPD, a family finance simulation in HIP40 Personal Life Management, and data-driven choices in HHS4U, each unit is hands-on, culturally responsive, and classroom-ready. 

Preview free course maps and unlock full handouts and tasks at https://ofsheea.education/free-resources/   Be sure to become a member to get access to these time saving resources at https://ofsheea.education/forms/?classfilter=3   If the episode sparks ideas, subscribe, leave a review, and share the resource you’re most excited to try—what will you teach first?

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Ever watch students struggle to make eye contact or endure a moment of silence without reaching for their phones? You're not alone. In this revealing conversation with Lisa, a Family Studies department head in Hamilton, we explore the fascinating world of teaching "Dynamics of Human Relationships" - a course she believes should be mandatory in every school.

Lisa's journey from social worker to educator provides her with a unique lens through which she approaches teaching relationships to today's digitally immersed teenagers. "I feel like so many kids don't know how to have a conversation with someone else," she shares, attributing this skill gap to smartphones being "put into kids' hands far too young." Her classroom becomes a rare space where students practice face-to-face interaction, emotional regulation, and mindfulness.

What makes this course exceptional is its accessibility to students across all academic levels and abilities. Lisa recounts how even students from special education classes find meaningful connections, creating natural opportunities for empathy development among diverse peer groups. Her culminating assignment - where students plan wellbeing activities for classmates - showcases this inclusive approach. She tells the moving story of a chronically absent, disengaged student who transformed when given the chance to share his passion for parkour with peers.

Working with a social worker, Lisa incorporates elements of dialectical behavioral therapy through "Skills for Everyday Stressors" workshops, teaching practical coping mechanisms for life's challenges. Her teaching philosophy embraces authenticity over perfection: "I always take the approach that we're in this together and I'm very authentic with them. I'll say I've never taught this before... so we're going to figure it out together." This vulnerability creates a collaborative classroom where students become invested partners in their learning journey.

Want to bring these relationship-building approaches to your classroom? Connect with us through the links in our show notes, and consider joining our podcast team as we prepare for our fourth season. Subscribe now to ensure you don't miss our return in September!

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Facebook @Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators' Association
Email at [email protected]