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Who can participate in the LifeSmarts competition?
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Any student in grades 6-8 in any US state, the District of Columbia, US military high schools, and the US territories may participate. Players may register and take practice quizzes, but they may only compete online after an adult coach has registered and created an online team. Teens may play from any computer with Internet access. This may be at home, at school, at a library or another location. Each player plays as an individual. The individuals with the highest scores will be identified on each team and become eligible for in-person competition where available.
Players and teams may come from schools, families, 4H, FCCLA, neighborhoods, workplaces, community centers, youth groups, home schools, and any other similar organizations. |
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What does the competition cover?
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Each player will be tested in the areas of personal finance, health, safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. LifeSmarts covers information that consumers need to know to function in today's complex marketplace. Competition questions are tailored specifically for the middle school-level student. |
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How do I start?
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For step-by-step directions for getting started, click here.
Each player and team must have an adult coach (18 years or older) and that coach must register for the program before any team member can compete. The coach will be given a team code. Each player on the team must use the team's pass code.
The Junior Varsity competition will remain open through February 26, 2010. Students may compete any time before February 26. Top-scoring teams will be recognized online. Several state coordinators will host state in-person competitions for their top-scoring JV teams. If your state is holding an in-person state competition, your online competition may end before February 26. Click here to check your state dates.
At least four players must register on a team, but any number of players may register under one coach. To receive a qualifying score, students must complete all three levels of the competition. Each student must register under his or her own name and take the tests independently. Coaches may register more than one team. Each time a coach registers a new team, a new pass code will be provided. However, a student may compete on only one team.
Each player will go through a series of three quizzes that will test their consumer awareness. Each test will be scored immediately and the player can move to the next one, or take a break between the tests. Students can expect the quizzes to get more difficult as they progress. |
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Purpose
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LifeSmarts helps prepare middle school students for the consumer decisions that they will be making throughout their lives. By using the Internet to research consumer issues, middle school students will begin exploring today's consumer challenges. Consumer education empowers individuals to take responsibility for their decisions. Lack of consumer education makes teenagers vulnerable to fraud.
For more information about LifeSmarts, check additional sections of this site. Or contact the National Consumers League at lifesmarts@nclnet.org or phone 202-835-3323. |
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