Recipes for Success

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Brianna Nascimiento and Jianna Garcia of suburban Brentwood, N.Y., had just flown halfway across the country to drum up interest in their burgeoning handcrafted jewelry business. The partners wore tailored black pantsuits befitting the successful entrepreneur. But they weren't in Chicago to meet with potential investors or customers. Standing in front of an impressive display of their bracelets, chokers and belts, the founders of Bead Bonanza prepared to be judged by a panel of home-economics teachers and students. "We taught our employees to interact with people, be creative and excel yourself and stuff," said Jianna, clutching notecards during a 20-min. sales presentation. Brianna and Jianna are just 13, and they were trying for a gold medal at a national leadership convention for teenagers based on their pitch and, among other things, knowledge of local tax codes.

The girls are among the new faces of home economics--a school subject that did not actually vanish along with the family fondue set in the 1970s. Its practitioners now prefer to call it family and consumer sciences and seek both to encourage girls to pursue interests beyond the kitchen and sewing room and to invite boys to discover the competitive thrills of gastronomy.

When asked if they planned to become homemakers, the bead entrepreneurs wrinkled their noses. Brianna wants to be a lawyer and Jianna, a marine biologist. But their ambitions have not deterred them from becoming active in the group founded 59 years ago as Future Homemakers of America (FHA). In 1999 in a quest to stay relevant amid steep membership declines, the group decided to rename itself the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). The FCCLA'S adult advisers say the new name better reflects the broader purpose of the group, which provides kids with opportunities to learn how to become leaders outside the classroom. According to the organization's literature, it focuses on such diverse challenges as how to manage stress, find a career, understand traffic safety and navigate the perils of obesity and school violence. The chic attire of the bead-business owners turned out to be an exception. At the group's national convention in Chicago in July, lots of the 5,000 boys and girls were decked out in crisp red blazers and power ties, many of them dying to show off their skills in "extreme leadership events," such as running faux business meetings and going through mock job interviews as prospective employees. Bottom line: you can excel at home ec these days without preheating an oven.