VATFACS INSTITUTE

Today's students face unprecedented levels of stress, loss, and emotional complexity—often without the skills to navigate them. This session shows how FCS educators can integrate a thanatology-informed approach into Life Planning courses to strengthen students' social-emotional learning and career readiness.
Presented by an FCS educator and thanatologist, the session demonstrates how real-life scenarios involving grief, family change, financial stress, conflict, and major life transitions can become powerful instructional tools within a CTE-aligned framework. Participants will explore how structured discussion, SEL prompts, and peer learning help students examine choices, consequences, and coping strategies in a safe classroom environment.
The result: FCS is positioned as a trauma-aware, workforce-ready discipline that builds employability skills like communication, problem-solving, adaptability, empathy, and responsible decision-making.