IFHE Scholarship

IFHE Scholarship 2026 - 2028: Increasing IFHE's International Visibility

IFHE 2026 - 2028 Scholarship Recipient: Chrissy E. Smith

IFHE welcomes Chrissy E. Smith, Scholarship Recipient 2026 – 2028. We are looking forward to working with Chrissy during the next two years. Chrissy's story is embedded in a love of food, relationality, and teaching. As a home economics teacher-practitioner, she is curious about how food literacy pedagogies are demonstrated within the classroom. As a Ph.D. Candidate at The University of British Columbia - Vancouver, she acknowledges the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples whose stories, culture, and traditions have been carried forward through generations. As a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Education, she emphasizes land-based learnings and facilitating dialogue around teacher identities as they co-evolve with classroom praxis. Her research will inform professional development opportunities for practising educators, and will continue to elevate teacher voices and their stories.

Pathways to becoming a Home Economist

Our world is full of interconnected stories; told by the land, plants, animals, and people. Within this storytelling, I am reflective of where everyone resides and the contexts in which they engage in Home Economics. In my own Canadian context, I was curious of the pathways to becoming a Home Economist. I reached out to stakeholders across the nation to inquire about these opportunities. As a teacher-practitioner, engagement with IFHE was not clear to me as my involvement with my provincial specialist association was strong. While there may be a disconnect, we are all doing exciting things within our contexts, and I see opportunities to showcase this learning and findings through the thoughtful collation of information.

My teaching philosophy centers my role as facilitator, one who co-constructs knowledge, learning, and engagement with other learners. Throughout the scholarship award period, by "Making Learning Visible", my intention is to amplify the meaningful work that is already being done by facilitating the collation of information, established resources, and the stories of others. In the attached image, I have highlighted my project intentions and the questions that I have within each intention. In collaboration with the IFHE Executive and our community, I aim to facilitate roundtable discussions with regional leaders through their own case snapshots, which will then be shared on the IFHE website.

Additionally, stories of those within the profession can deepen understanding and practice through cross-context dialogues. Recently, IFHE has highlighted Home Economists in our communities and the ways in which their work has shaped their own lives. Garnering these stories not only makes our learnings as Home Economists visible, but also bridges connections across cultural contexts within the profession and strengthens communication beyond our field. As Home Economists, we each have something to share - I am excited to learn more about your stories and practices within your contexts to support meaningful ways to showcase the integral work of the International Federation of Home Economics. Stay tuned…

Application requirements

The IFHE scholarship recognizes students for achievements in promoting the profession and putting its interdisciplinary values into practice. It aims to identify and financially support Home Economics students to advance the profession on an international level through work on an international project. The scholarship includes a two-year membership to IFHE and reimbursement of travel costs to international IFHE meetings and related events up to 3.000EUR.

Selection criteria

Students are selected for their ability to put the spirit of the scholarship into practice in their own communities (upon graduation). Other specific selection criteria include:

Academic excellence
Visible contribution to promoting Home Economics and its interdisciplinary values
Fluency in both written and spoken English
Technical means to attend online meetings & ability to travel internationally

How to apply

Please make sure to CAREFULLY STUDY these explanations before sending your application which should include

letter of motivation, your CV and certificates
academic transcript
proof of enrollment as student
proof of English language proficiency
a draft concept of how you would advance the scholarship theme during the scholarship period, including online activities and travel. The draft concept should be concise, its form is up to you. Surprise us.

The next call for applications will be released in October 2027 for the period 2028 - 2030

Freqently asked Questions

What is "a draft concept of how you would advance the 2020 scholarship theme"?

This is the heart of your application so be sure to spend some time reflecting on it. We suggest you study our website to get an idea what IFHE and Home Economics is about. We also suggest you do your own research on e.g. the value of Home Economics, young people's expectations or membership based organisations in the digital age. And then share your ideas how, during your scholarship, you could contribute to promoting international Home Economics with young people.

Don't worry, we do not expect an academic paper! We are more interested in pragmatic ideas that can be realised within 9 months and with the scholarship grant offered (remember, it's a draft concept only). However, your concept should be short & concise. Its form is up to you - surprise us!

Do I need to be an IFHE member and how to I prove my "contribution to promoting Home Economics and its interdisciplinary values"?

No, you don't need to be an IFHE member to apply. However, the scholarships's aim is to promote Home Economics Educaton and advance the profession on an international level. So yes, we do expect you to have ties to Home Ecomics, Family and Consumer Science, Human Ecology etc. and be able to prove that you care for our profession. How you do this is up to you (maybe in your motivational letter - see next)

How do I send my motivational letter, CV and certificates?

In your motivational letter, please shortly explain why we should select you as IFHE scholarship holder 2020 (max 1 page). Please also include a condensed version of your CV (max 4 pages) as well as certificates that are relevant for the application. Please send all as one pdf-document.

What is a proof of academic excellence?

Academic Excellence is documented through the Academic Transcript sent to executivedirector@ifhe.org from your institution.

Why do I need to have the technical means to attend online meetings?

IFHE's strenth is its broad international network and to be able to make most of your scholarship you need to be able to attend online meetings and working sessions. Your IT setup - hardware, software, stable Wifi - must allow seamless virtual communication (no financial or technical support provided is by IFHE).

And why should I be able to travel internationally?

The scholarship includes the valuable opportunity to attend meetings face- to-face (for which a reimbursement of travel costs can be requested). Scholarship holders therefore need to ensure that they are able to travel internationally, which also includes meeting the formal requirements international travel normally involves (valid passport, visa requirements etc.)

How to I prove my fluency in English?

Applicants whose country’s official language is not English should provide evidence of English language proficiency. Click here for IFHE's English Langage Admission Standard.