We are holding our Spring Meeting, and want to recognize more sponsors in our ‘sponsor series’. Today we highlight:

• The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS); and
• Cisco Academy

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AAFCS Announces the Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification (Pre-PAC) Program

The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is proud to announce the Pre-Professional Assessment and Certification (Pre-PAC) program creating the premier family and consumer sciences pre-professional assessment and certification system in the nation. AAFCS has engaged the assistance of a broad range of esteemed industry professionals, content specialists, and educators from across the nation to assist in identifying relevant industry standards and to develop the assessment instruments. In addition to drawing heavily on business and industry input, Pre-PAC assessments correlate to the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences Education and the National Career Clusters initiative. The Pre-PAC competency assessments are rigorous, psychometrically sound, and consistent with gold-standard online testing quality requirements. The assessments and certifications can be used to:

• document achievement in rigorous secondary and community college programs;
• promote data-driven program improvement, professional development, and instructional resource acquisition;
• meet federal accountability mandates required by Perkins IV legislation;
• facilitate seamless articulation, placement, and credit-by exam within post-secondary institutions;
• validate competencies required for employment at the pre-professional and/or paraprofessional level, therefore, improving employability; and
• provide industry-recognized pre-professional certifications.

The Pre-PAC program offers the following pre-professional assessments and industry-recognized certifications:

• Broad Field Family and Consumer Sciences
• Culinary Arts
• Early Childhood Education
• Education Fundamentals
• Family and Community Services
• Fashion, Textiles, and Apparel
• Food Science Fundamentals
• Housing and Furnishings
• Interior Design Fundamentals
• Nutrition, Food, and Wellness
• Personal and Family Finance

For more information contact Lori Myers at [email protected] or visit the website at http://www.aafcs.org/prepac/.

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Cisco

The human network can drive education transformation. Here are the ways Cisco meets the challenge:

Education 3.0: transforming school systems for the 21st century;  2) 21st Century Schools Initiative: building a world-class education system; 3) Cisco Networking Academy: Educating the architects of the networked economy.; 4) Teachers without borders: connecting, creating, and collaborating on a global scale. Carroll McGillin, Business Development Manager and Joni Blakeslee, Senior Manager, are representing Cisco at the Spring Meeting.

Visit Cisco’s website today.