Family Life Education Month
Family Life Education (FLE) Month is recognized each February with the aim to mobilize Family Life Educators and supporters to increase awareness and understanding of FLE. While the month is officially recognized in some states, NCFR continues to lead the effort to have Family Life Education Month officially declared throughout the U.S. and beyond.
Help support these efforts and share FLE with your community! Check out the information below for background about FLE Month and ideas for activities to spread the word about Family Life Education.
And don't forget that during FLE Month and throughout the year, you can post your FLE stories and messages on social media with hashtag #FamilyLifeEd to add to the conversation and give visibility to the Family Life Education profession.
More About Family Life Education Month
Family Life Education Month was initiated by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) to increase awareness of Family Life Education as a method to strengthen and support families.
FLE Month is an opportunity to let your community know what Family Life Education is and how it benefits and impacts families, as well as a catalyst for strengthening relationships with key people in your community who can help share with more families what Family Life Educators do.
Recognizing and celebrating FLE Month can grow awareness and support for Family Life Education, create more job opportunities for FLE professionals, and ultimately help more families help themselves.
Ideas and Resources for Family Life Education Month
Things to Plan:
- Set local goals you'd like to achieve by participating in FLE Month
- Identify key community players to alert
- Decide who should sign the Family Life Education Month Proclamation
- List ideas for in-person and online events and activities to do during February
Keep in Mind:
- Weather: Where you live will play a role in activities you plan.
- Timing: Allow enough time for sponsors, officials, and the community to know about your event.
- Elections: Some officials aren't able to sign/attend/endorse because of elections.
Possible Group Events and Activities:
- Present to high school classes (family and consumer science)
- Create a video to post online or with your school/agency promoting Family Life Education
- Host a tea for community leaders to inform them about Family Life Education
- Create a radio commercial
- Hold a fundraiser to benefit an FLE-related project, agency, or NCFR affiliate
- Hold an FLE family fun day (field day, game day)
- Hold a training on a topic of interest to your community
For an example of how one group promoted Family Life Education and FLE Month in its community, read about the students at the University of North Texas.
Family Life Education Month Proclamation
Make FLE Month an official part of February in your area: Ask your mayor, governor, or other elected official to endorse the Family Life Education Month Proclamation.
Many awareness months have a proclamation signed by government officials. It helps explain Family Life Education and its impact to the community, and gives recognition and respect to the month and to awareness efforts.
You may make changes to the proclamation using local facts and statistics (e.g., the number of Family Science graduates in your state or town each year; number of families served by Family Life Educators at your agency).
The Proclamation Process
Begin the proclamation process a few months or weeks before February. Contact the official's office to tell them you're sending it, and answer their questions about Family Life Education. It's never too early to set up a meeting for officials who aren't familiar with Family Life Education.
After initial contact, schedule a follow-up date, offering to meet with the official to share more and answer questions. Share information about the impact of Family Life Education from NCFR and/or from your own agency; the Certified Family Life Educator brochure available for free from NCFR contains information about FLE and certification.
Arrange for a date and time to sign the proclamation. Send a press release to media outlets about the signing, and follow up with another press release and photo afterward.
Then display the signed proclamation!
Also contact NCFR to let us know what you are doing or have done around Family Life Education Month. We want to hear about your activities!
