Home economists in action : implementing a community course on sustainable living

Abstract

During 2011 to 2013 the professional association “Home Economists in Action” was commissioned by Caritas (Malta) to design, deliver and evaluate a community development course focusing on sustainable lifestyles. The primary target audience was vulnerable, financially insecure individuals and families, and the secondary audience parish community and social workers. The main aim of the course was to help participants assess and improve their quality of life through effective resource management. Topics covered included family decision-making and influences on consumption, budgeting, wise shopping, energy and water conservation, sustainable snacks and meals, sustainable personal care and grooming, eco-friendly home care, and free and low-cost leisure time activities. An active learning approach was adopted promoting values recognition, prioritisation, critical thinking and goal-setting. The course comprised eight group and 1 one-to-one sessions and was facilitated by two home economists. Over 200 individuals were reached in 10 localities. Two types of evaluation were conducted – process evaluation and short-term impact assessment. The former helped to refine the course as it was ongoing, based on participants’ feedback and facilitators’ self-evaluation. Follow-up phone interviews helped identify strategies participants had adopted to improve the sustainability of their lifestyles. Several instances of positive attitude and behaviour change were reported.