Celebrate the second annual Family & Consumer Sciences Day on Dec. 3 by dining in with Colorado State University’s Family and Consumer Sciences students and faculty.

The national celebration educates families about the importance of preparing healthy meals at home and “dining in” together. FCS students are asking the campus and Fort Collins community to take the pledge and “Dine In” on Dec. 3.

“Family and Consumer Sciences Day calls attention to something simple that families can do to be physically, mentally and financially healthier — prepare and eat a nutritious meal together. CSU is proud to take part in this important initiative,” said Dawn Mallette, assistant professor and coordinator for the Family and Consumer Sciences program.

Participants are encouraged to change their Facebook profile photos to the “I’m Dining In” logo, pin their favorite recipes to a “Dining In” Pinterest board, and take a photo of their homemade meals and post them to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #FCSday and #healthyfamilyselfie.

This is the third annual Family and Consumer Sciences Day, launched by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Last year more than 125,000 people pledged to participate.

Dec. 3 was chosen for Family & Consumer Sciences Day in honor of Ellen Swallow Richards’ birthday. Richards, who studied chemistry, was the first woman admitted to MIT, and the founder of the Family and Consumer Sciences profession (formally Domestic Sciences/Home Economics). She saw the close relationship of science to the home and founded AAFCS in 1909.

Find out more at www.aafcs.org/fcsday.

Commit to dining in on Dec. 3 by visiting http://www.aafcs.org/FCSday/commitment.html.

The Family and Consumer Sciences major is part of the School of Education in the College of Health and Human Sciences.