2011 National LifeSmarts Championship

Congratulations individual topic winners!

2011-05-09T15:23:00.002-04:00

The 2011 LifeSmarts National Championship in Hollywood, CA was a great success! Thanks to everyone who helped 2011 be such an incredible program year! However, we couldn’t let 2011 come to a close without acknowledging our individual topic winners. For the second year at the National LifeSmarts Championship, teens from each of the 33 state champion teams represented at nationals competed in individual topic area challenges, and the top five scorers received $500 scholarships from NCL.

This year’s winners were:

Environment: Maura Taylor, MD
Personal finance: Brian Vermillion, FL
Health & safety: Austin Hart, NH
Consumer rights & responsibilities: Jordy Shute, AZ
Technology: Robert Dickens, MD

Congratulations guys! Hope to see you next year!

Rubbing elbows in Hollywood

2011-05-05T21:48:00.003-04:00

From New Hampshire team coach Chuck Bates:

The 2011 NH LifeSmarts Champs got to see the Jay Leno show Friday night. We met and shook hands with guests Actress Susan Lucci, Actor Rob Lowe, Tonight Show Band Director Ricky Miner, and Musician Moby. As we were getting ready to leave, we happened to see Jay heading upstairs; after calling out hello and mentioning that we were from New Hampshire, Jay came right down to to say hello and allowed us to take several pictures and chat with us . I've attached the best one.

In the photo are: my daughter Lisa, team members Galen, Sven, Teddy, Captain Cody, Assistant Coach Tim Quinney, Austin, Jay Leno, my wife Sue, and of course me (Chuck Bates).

Kansas takes title!

2011-05-04T11:35:00.002-04:00

The team from Nickerson High School defeated New Hampshire's Inter-Lakes High in a nail-biting match, 214-151!

State standings at the start of day 3

2011-05-02T12:08:00.002-04:00

Day 2 team standings are up!

2011-05-02T00:09:00.003-04:00

The results from today's competitions are in and the results have been posted! Click here to view all the state scores.

Thank you, Seth Woods!

2011-05-01T19:40:00.004-04:00

The LifeSmarts program staff would like to extend a big thank you to NCL Board Member and program consultant, Seth Woods. Seth brings invaluable insight and experience to LifeSmarts as a four-year high school participant who represented Kentucky at the LifeSmarts National Championships of 2002 and 2004. Seth’s Southern charm and continued dedication to the program are greatly appreciated. Be sure to introduce yourself at the registration desk!

Seth explains competition scoring to a rapt audience

Competition officials put their own “LifeSmarts” to the test

2011-05-01T17:32:00.006-04:00

A group of program officials made up of NCL board members, sponsors, and topic area experts, were put in students' shoes this afternoon when they were forced to navigate the competition’s complex rulebook in preparation for overseeing the day’s events. More than a few officials could stand to learn a few things from our student champions, some adults could only scratch their heads in response to competition questions . . .

Competition officials put their consumer and financial savvy to the test

Vote for your favorite T-shirt!

2011-05-01T15:37:00.005-04:00

Be sure to vote for your favorite team designed t-shirts at the registration desk. There will be two prize winners: the Judges' Selection and the People's Choice Award.

The lovely Miss Tee shows off of an LA inspired design

A sampling of this year's designs

LifeSmarts competitors point to their favorite designs

Check out the photo album of all the championship teams!

2011-05-01T13:49:00.003-04:00

Click here to view the album of photos from all 33 national championship teams

The results from day 1 are posted!

2011-05-01T13:11:00.003-04:00

The results from yesterday's team assessment are in and the results have been posted! Click here to view all the state scores.

Let the games begin!

2011-04-30T22:15:00.012-04:00

The teams have landed, team activities have begun , and the competition is officially underway! Remember to turn in your coach of the year forms by 1pm tomorrow at the registration desk and don't forget to check the online scoreboard here to keep track of your team progress!

LifeSmarts participants register with Miss Tee

South Carolina celebrates being in LA

New Hampshire shows off LifeSmarts' five program areas

Team captains prepare to lead their teams to victory

Michigan goes over championship rules with Emily Stevenson

A member of the Student Advisory Panel shares his ideas for growing the LifeSmarts program

NCL Board Member Ted Debro welcomes the 2011 teams

Much thanks to all our sponsors

2011-04-30T19:24:00.008-04:00

The LifeSmarts program wouldn't be possible without generous contributions from all our sponsors. The 2011 LifeSmarts National Championship is sponsored by:

Underwriter

Visa

Lead Sponsor

Western Union

LifeSmarts Champion

Experian

McNeil Consumer Healthcare

Team Builder

Toyota Financial Services

Question Master

Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC

Expert

American Express

Scorekeeper

CBM Credit Education

Members from the Hawaii team sign sponsor thank you cards

Summer Institute application

2011-04-30T16:29:00.002-04:00

We need your help! This summer, LifeSmarts is holding a Summer Institute for coaches interested in strengthening the program by drafting new content. Click here to view the application.

Follow the championship action online!

2011-04-30T14:34:00.002-04:00

This year, we created an online scoreboard so you can follow the action in real time. Click here to view.

Registration sign-in sheet

2011-04-30T14:20:00.003-04:00

We want to keep in touch with you! Please fill out this form when you register by clicking here

Welcome to California!

2011-04-29T15:39:00.003-04:00

Let the games begin! The LifeSmarts team has officially landed in warm, sunny Universal City, CA! The 2011 National LifeSmarts Championship kicks off tomorrow. See you tomorrow at the registration desk starting at 12pm- be sure to get your team photo taken!

Championship! Hollywood! Trivia!

2011-04-27T13:35:00.002-04:00

Only three more days until the start of the 2011 LifeSmarts National Championship! With teams from 33 states headed to LA this weekend, let’s take a look at some Hollywood trivia:

In 1923, Harry Chandler, a real estate agent and investor built the famous Hollywood Sign to advertise the area "Hollywoodland." The total expense for this advertisement was $21,000. Initially, it was built to last for only eighteen months. The Hollywood sign is no eighty-eight years old.

As the sign wasn’t designed to be permanent, after a time, letters began to fall down. To restore the sign, in 1978, an auction of certain letters was held by Hugh Hefner, founder of "Playboy" magazine. This auction was held for a period of three months. Alice Cooper, American rock singer, sponsored the alphabet "O". Gene Autry and Paul Williams sponsored the alphabets "L" and "W" respectively.

In 1995, a trust known as "Hollywood Sign Trust" was setup to maintain the Hollywood sign.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a series of sidewalks along both sides of a 15-block segment of Hollywood Boulevard and a 3-block segment of Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA that serves as a permanent public monument to achievements in the entertainment industry.

More than 2,400 5-pointed terrazzo and brass stars are embedded at 6-foot intervals over a combined 1.7 miles .

To date, 47% of the stars have been awarded in the motion pictures category, 24% in television, 17% in audio recording, 10% in radio, and less than 2% in the live performance category.

Twenty to thirty new stars, on average, are added to the Walk each year.

Spago, a West Hollywood restaurant, was the birthplace of the “California Designer Pizza.”

The iconic Capitol Records building on Vine St has a blinking light on the top of it’s tower that spells out "Hollywood" in Morse code, and has done so since the building's opening in 1956

Looking forward to greeting all of you on the 30th!

NCL gives a special thanks to Visa

2011-04-26T16:06:00.002-04:00

The LifeSmarts program has a lot to be thankful for this year—consumer-savvy teens representing 33 states will compete at this year’s national event later this week in Hollywood. Program participation throughout the 2010-2011 year has been excellent: more than 22,000 teens answered more than 3 million consumer questions online for a chance to represent their states at the 2011 National LifeSmarts Championship.

Looking towards the future, LifeSmarts shows every sign of growing bigger and better than ever. Visa recently announced a three-year major grant to help underwrite the program, sponsor development of personal finance lessons and teaching tools, increase marketing efforts for LifeSmarts, and bolster NCL’s outreach on consumer fraud. With Visa’s help, LifeSmarts is looking forward to providing future generations of teens with the skills and knowledge they will need to successfully navigate the increasingly complex consumer landscape.

Thanks, Visa!

MA champions!

2011-04-22T10:14:00.010-04:00

The winning MA team from Palmer High School, whose innovative fundraising technique we shared last week, just sent over some great photos from their state competition at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston:

Palmer High celebrating the win

Palmer team with coach Helena Naglack

Team members passing around that shiny new trophy

Greetings from Gabbi, 2010 RI state Champion

2011-04-18T10:48:00.004-04:00

The Rhode Island Jump$tart Coalition sent us this video featuring Gabrielle Sclafani, a 2010 RI state champion who was awarded the first ever Consumer Rights & Responsibilities scholarship last year in Miami Beach. Gabbi talks about her experience at last year's national championship and gives this year's participants an idea of what they can expect! She is currently a freshman at Brown University in Providence, RI where she is majoring in Literary Arts. The LifeSmarts program is so proud of her, we always love hearing from our past competitors!

Join us! Be a part of the student advisory panel

2011-04-12T14:12:00.004-04:00

Hey Guys,

We are still recruiting participants for our LifeSmarts Student Advisory Panel! If you will be at this year's national competition in Hollywood and are interested in meeting with your peers to talk about what you love about LifeSmarts click the link below to apply!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LSstudentadvisory

We extended the deadline by another week so be sure to apply by April 19th!

LifeSmarts teams in the news

2011-04-11T13:35:00.007-04:00

Congratulations to the Arizona team from Flagstaff, who were featured in a great Arizona Daily Sun article cleverly titled “Fab Five headed to Hollywood”

Left to right: Scott, Jordy, Moriah, Grant, Aaron

The winning Massachusetts team from Palmer High School has come up with an innovative fundraising technique (hint: it involves lawn ornaments). Click here to read about it. What are other teams doing to raise money?

See you both in a few weeks!

Calling all LifeSmarts students: We need your help!

2011-04-07T09:58:00.006-04:00

The LifeSmarts Program is asking for help from those who know it the best: its student participants! In the interest of creating the best LifeSmarts program possible, we are creating a Student Advisory Board and are calling on committed, capable, and creative teens to be part of this exciting new venture. What better place to start than with those of you will be traveling to the National Competition in Los Angeles? We want to capture all your enthusiasm and ideas for keeping the program lively, relevant, and growing.

The Advisory Board will be a select group of student leaders working together, sharing ideas and brainstorming new ways LifeSmarts can reach out to youth. There are twelve Board positions; freshmen through seniors are invited to apply. The Board will meet in-person at nationals, and through Live Meeting and conference calls 3-4 times during the year. Students must be willing to network with other members to accomplish assigned tasks.

If you are interested, the first step is to complete the online LifeSmarts Student Advisory Board Application. The application can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LSstudentadvisory and the deadline for completion is April 19, 2011.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to make a difference in LifeSmarts, take a leadership role, and build a resume!

Can't Meet Us in Hollywood? Follow the Action Online!

2011-04-04T12:04:00.006-04:00

Even if you can’t join the National Consumers League and the LifeSmarts state champions in Hollywood for the 2011 National LifeSmarts Championship, you can still catch the action online!

Nationals Blog

At www.lifesmartsnationals.blogspot.com, NCL will provide frequently updated content, like team photos, stories, and a regularly updated competition grid, so you can chart your team’s progress from home!

Live Streaming!

This year, watch the final morning of competition live online at www.lifesmarts.org!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Semi-finals- 9 am Pacific Daylight * 12 noon Eastern Daylight
Finals- 10:45 am PDT * 1:45 EDT

Stay tuned in to this blog and lifesmarts.org to keep up with this year's excitement!

Meet the teams headed to Hollywood!

2011-04-01T09:58:00.003-04:00

Happy April! Now that state competitions have officially come to a close, here is the list of teams that will be showing off their consumer savvy in sunny California just 29 short days from now:

Alabama
Straughn High School
Sherri Williams, Coach
Zachary Williams, Captain
Ryan Williams
Dallas Ham
Michael Hudson
Chris Gay

Arizona
Flagstaff Home Educators
Jennifer Bearchell, Coach
Emily Bearchell, Asst. Coach
Jordy Shute, Captain
Scott Bearchell
Grant Wiseman
Moriah Parks
Aaron Parks

Connecticut
Crosby High School
Donna Mancuso, Coach
Hafsa Khanum, Captain
Xhensila Spahiu
Devlin Anes
Latrice Grant
Jason Boucher

Delaware
Salesianum School
George Horn, Coach
Steve Gilcrest, Captain
Phil Bale
Kevin O'Connor
Joe Richards
T.J. James

District of Columbia
Ideal Academy PCS
Michael Johnson, Coach
Teria Sands, Captain
James Jones
Antonio Partee
Kwaghdoo Kakaan

FCCLA
Willow River High School, MN
Lois Johnson, Coach

Florida
Paxon School for Advanced Studies
Kathryn Loggie, Coach
Melony Vermillion, Asst. Coach
Christine Simmons, Captain
Bryan Johnson
Alexandra Heath
Lester Manley
Brian Vermillion

Hawaii
Iolani High School
James Rubasch, Coach
Lauren Faris, Captain
Erin Nishimura
Barbara Reichart
John Ishida
Cdy Petro Sakuna

Illinois
West Chicago Community High School
Nancy Blume, Coach
Peg Peach, Asst. Coach
Matt Provenzale, Captain
Colton Reif
Jimmy Gehlbaar
Luis Guzman
Jeff Foreman

Indiana
Franklin County High School
Diana Slaven, Coach
Beth Heis, Asst. Coach
Alicia Heis, Captain
Morgan Wright
Andrew Kist
Andrew Tellitocci
Taylor Abner

Kansas
Nickerson High School
Vicki Galloway, Coach
Heather Sazama, Asst. Coach
Evan Wilson, Captain
Sarah Slifer
Cami Roth
Jesse Porter

Kentucky
Mason County High School
Maggie Prater, Coach
Steven Appleman, Asst. Coach
Connor Appleman, Captain
Garric Buzzard
Amrita Srinivasan
Adny Ward
Simon Segal

Massachusetts
Palmer High School
Helena Naglack, Coach
Matthew Smith, Asst. Coach
Ryan Mastriani, Captain
Kayla Riel
Bou Coté
Owen Roche
Xavier Zuperneau

Maryland
Homeschoolers
Judy England, Coach
Cobey England, Captain
Robert Dickens
Nicholas Martin
Maura Taylor
Julia Roberson

Michigan
Fenton High School
Bruce Burwitz, Coach
Andy Cocagne, Captain
Logan Shaw
Nick Sanborn
Bailey Johnson
Charles Henzog
Chris Taylor

Minnesota
Le Sueur-Henderson
Cathy Schluter, Coach
Jackie Klimek, Captain
Erin Kelso
Rachel Bjork
Jamie Schlarbaum

Missouri
Osage RII Linn Schools
Sharon Baker, Coach
Bonnie Baker, Asst. Coach
Zettie Pollard, Captain
Kayla Heidbrink
Patrick Dudenhoeffer
Mikaelyn Frank

New Hampshire
Inter-Lakes High School
Charles Bates, Coach
Tim Quinney, Asst. Coach
Cody Cook, Captain
Galen Miskat
Theodore Willey
Austin Hart
Sven Gustafson

New Jersey
John P. Stevens High School
Cathy DiGioia, Coach

New Mexico
Navajo Preparatory School
Kevin Keeley, Coach
Sandra Westbrook, Asst Coach
Kayla Bluehorse, Captain
Trevor Farland
Amber Reano
Kieta Begay
Jordan Fowler

North Dakota
Jamestown High School
Marchel Krieger, Coach

Ray Public Schools*
Bernadette Perdue, Coach
Elizabeth Ryan, Captain
Riley Donnelly
James Johnson
Tonya Weyrauch
Blake Wheeler

New York
Pittsford Mendon High School
Jody Pecor, Coach
Stefan Styk, Captain
Allison Hallock
Steven Pan
Denver Rawlins
Kylie Ryan

Ohio
Benjamin Logan High School
Lois Stoll, Coach
Chelsie Raterman, Captain
Mackenzie Risner
Cheyenne Kuhn
Lexi Newland
Morgan Cline

Oklahoma
Porter FCCLA
Sharon Rash, Coach
Sydney Krenek, Captain
Kaitlyn Fleetwood
Hutch Anderson
Cody Winkle
Stephanie Carl

Pennsylvania
North East High School
Greg Henning, Coach
Annette Heibach, Captain
Taylor Burnham
April Meehl
Katherine Perkins
John Hupp III

Rhode Island
Lincoln School
Catherine DiChiaro, Coach

North Smithfield High School*
Robin Broman, Coach
Dennis Ballou, Asst. Coach
Alli Wojtanowski
Shannon Slaome
Erin Hall
Daniel Thifault
Hannah Decelles

South Carolina
Lower Richland High School
Tari Tucker, Coach
Justice Nathan, Captain
Nivean Gonzales-Lara
Celeste Martin
Miriam Williams

Tennessee
Coffee County 4-H
Michelle Matthews, Coach
Melody Kelly, Asst. Coach
Kate Shrader
David Shrader
Nathaniel Anderson
Benjamin Kelly

Texas
Breckenridge ISD/FCCLA
Melisa Rhodes, Coach
Cassidy Foreman, Captain
Jennifer Morris
Emily Oakley
Ryan Wade
Lindsey Wimberly

Virginia
George C. Marshall High School
Kimberly Fields, Coach
Rebekah Glasbrenner, Asst. Coach
Michael Benson, Captain
Gabriel Ritter
Benjamin Kim
Daniel Heshmantipour

Vermont
Champlain Union High School, CVU FBLA
Tamie-Jo Dickinson, Coach
Colleen Wedge, Asst. Coach
Adam Kaufmann, Captain
Jeffrey Wettstein
Jacob Grasso
Drew Nick

Washington
Cheney High School
Karlyn Urdahl, Coach
Jacob Mager, Captain
Nash Springberry
James Berchers
David Leong
Solomon Springberry

Wisconsin
Shullburg Public Schools
Timothy Strang, Coach
Mitchell Kautz, Captain
Donnie Turpin
Hillary Barclay
Patrick Grate
Emilia Cervantes

Wyoming
Wright High School+
Lois Ostenson, Coach

The Countdown Begins: Only One Month Until Nationals!

2011-03-30T16:07:00.002-04:00

Its hard to believe, but the 17th Annual LifeSmarts National Championship begins in one month! State competitions have been winding down and today marks the last state competition, good luck to all the New York teams!

Since Nationals are so quickly approaching, I've included a list of important upcoming dates for coaches and team members to keep in mind:

March 31: Coach call (We’ll answer your questions and give you the chance to learn more about the national event, how competition will work, and what to expect!)

April1: Activity sign-up form due from state champion teams

April 5: Second coach call

April 7: Hotel reservation deadline

April 13-19: Online pre-competition opens

April 30: Let the competitions begin!

See you all in Hollywood!

Quizzes! Prizes! Spring!

2011-03-24T14:10:00.007-04:00

Spring is here and Nationals are just a few weeks away! In the spirit of both Spring and Nationals, we are having a mini contest with T-shirt prizes! Answer all three questions below correctly, by commenting on this post or on our Facebook page, and you'll be entered into a pool to win a LifeSmarts T-shirt! A few lucky winners will also have the chance to receive a bonus mystery prize!

Questions:

1. The DTP vaccine helps prevent an infection caused by bacteria found in dirt, gravel and rusty metal. Also called "lockjaw", this disease is:

2. At what stage in the development of a new drug does the Food and Drug Administration first becomes involved?

3. You’re making homemade cookies with your younger sister and she really wants to taste the cookie dough. You discourage her because of what risk?

Good luck!

Palmer High School team shows its "smarts"

2011-03-22T14:29:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to the Palmer High School Panthers, who where named Massachusetts State Champions last week and were featured in a MassLive.com news story. This is the fifth time – and the second year in a row – that a Palmer High School team has won the statewide LifeSmarts competition.

Palmer High School's LifeSmarts team poses with the trophy it won at the annual statewide competition on Tuesday, March 15th at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston. Kayla M. Riel poses with the trophy. From left to right in the second row, Xavier M. Superneau, Bou L. Cote and Owen J. Roche and Coach Helena Naglack and Ryan N. Mastriani stand in back.

Click here to visit the list of all current 2011 champions. Good luck to all the state teams that are still gearing up to compete!

March Smartness heats up in Rhode Island!

2011-03-17T16:34:00.006-04:00

Now that we are officially halfway through March, nationals are closer than ever. FOX Providence recently ran a great follow-up March Smartness segment. Check it out:

And congratulations to Rhode Island's winning team! The Lincoln School (Providence, RI) is pictured below shortly after winning the Consumer Cup and becoming the RI 2011 LifeSmarts State Champions, March 11, 2011 at the Rhode Island State House.

The team is comprised of (seated left to right) Megan Morrow (Captain), Addie Bodell, Maggie Savoie, Olivia Davis-Wilson, Carolyn Impagliazzo, and Coach Catherine DiChiaro (standing center).

“March Smartness” match in session at the Rhode Island State House, Friday, March 11, 2011.

New Hampshire and Maryland teams head to Hollywood

2011-03-14T14:05:00.004-04:00

Last week, Inter-Lakes Regional High School beat out Mascoma Valley Regional with a score of 190 to 80, taking the New Hampshire state title. This marks the third consecutive year the team has won the LifeSmarts state championship.

From left: Kathleen Belanger, NH Jump$tart Chair & LifeSmarts State Coordinator, Teddy Willey,Sven Gustafson, Cody, Cook, Austin Hart, Galen Muskat and Coach Chuck Bates.

Congratulations Next Generation Team from Frederick County, Maryland!

State Winners: Cobey England, Nick Martin, Robert Dickens, Julie Roberson and Maura Taylor – Team Captain

Sandi Roberts, former Frederick County, MD national team winning coach, served as the Question Master!

Remember to send all your competition photos to danield@nclnet.org!

March Smartness underway!

2011-03-10T10:11:00.006-05:00

Check out this great video on the LifeSmarts program from FOX Providence.

The intensity and excitement of March Smartness captured: a grid shot from mid-way through the Minnesota competition.

Eat your heart out NCCA: the Minnesota 1st place trophy

Congratulations to Hawaii's winning team from Iolani High School.
From left: Keali'i Lopez from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, team members Erin Nishimura, Lauren Faris, Barbara Reichart, John Ishida, Cody Petro Sakuma, and Kathy Morris from Hawaii Credit Union League.

Click here to read a great Dollars & Sense column on LifeSmarts by Star-Trib's John Ewoldt!

States continue to crown their champions

2011-03-08T10:17:00.006-05:00

Now that we are in the second week of March, the Lifesmarts National Championship draws ever closer! Here are some more recent state champions:

Pennsylvania winners from North East High School. From left to right: Katie Perkins, Annette Haibach, Taylor Burnham, April Meehl, and John Hupp. PA's winning team was featured in the Erie Times-News, click here to read.

Kentucky winners from Mason County High School. The "Royal Pains" took the state title in Kentucky last year as well. The Royal Pains team includes Connor Appelman, Garric Buzzard, Amrita Srinivasan, Andy Ward and Parker Segal.
Click here to read more about the Royal Pains.

Good luck to Belmont High School, Inter-Lakes of Meredith, Mascoma Valley of West Canaan, Merrimack High School, Raymond High School, and Winnacunnet High School, who will all be competing for the New Hampshire state title tomorrow, March 9th.

Behind the Scenes: Building the best LifeSmarts

2011-03-03T15:17:00.005-05:00

As LifeSmarts coordinators, participants, and coaches all know, the ultimate goal of the program is to teach teens to be informed, responsible consumers who can successfully navigate today’s complex marketplace. To help achieve this critical goal, and to keep the program as fresh and relevant as possible, more than two dozen experts in consumer issues gathered at Toyota Headquarters in Torrance, CA for the first ever LifeSmarts Summit.

For three intense days in late January, Summit participants dissected LifeSmarts topic areas, discussed the current state of young consumers and the vital issues facing them, explored educational theory, and ultimately captured dozens of new teaching tools for LifeSmarts coaches and curriculum users.

The difficulty of putting parameters on the study of consumer sciences, a field that is constantly changing, emerged as a central issue among summit participants. In the face of rapidly developing new technologies, financial tools and services, environmental concerns, and the phasing in and out of products, selecting the most important issues facing teens was a main focus of the summit.

Summit experts all agreed that content literacy is a top program priority, as students need repeated exposure to carefully-selected vocabulary and concepts in order to integrate them effectively into their lives. LifeSmarts Summit attendees rose to the challenge of defining the essential vocabulary and determining the must-have knowledge and survival skills teens need upon their entry into the real world, and the LifeSmarts program is stronger for it.

Thanks again to all the summit participants and here’s to a great LifeSmarts program in 2011 and beyond!

Long-time friend Don Zabelin, retired Illinois teacher / LS coach / LS coordinator, stirring things up at the LifeSmarts Summit

Meet the Teams!

2011-03-01T10:47:00.010-05:00

The LifeSmarts National Championship is just two short months away, and states across the country are announcing their champions. Let's meet some of the teams making their way to Hollywood:

Ohio's winning team from Benjamin Logan High School

Washington state champs from Cheney High School

Missouri winners from Linn High School
Back row: Merilee Thoenen, Missouri LifeSmarts Coordinator; Mikaelynn Frank; Sharon Baker, Coach; Scott Oberkrom, American Century Investments (Missouri LifeSmarts Financial Sponsor)
Front Row: Patrick Dudenhoeffer; Zettie Pollard; Kayla Heidbrink

And congratulations as well to Missouri's LifeSmarts Junior Varsity team from Linn Junior High, who placed 1st this year after taking 2nd at last year's competition.

Back row: Skye Prince; Courtney Barker; Sharon Baker, Coach
Front Row: Derrick Clark; Kyli Doke; Chris Beyer

Best of luck to all the teams and remember to send your photos to lisah@nclnet.org or danield@nclnet.org to get posted!

LifeSmarts in the News

2011-02-25T15:21:00.002-05:00

With state competitions heating up and excitement for nationals at an all time high, LifeSmarts is making the news. Check out this Fox 6 Milwaukee clip on the valuable life skills participants gain from the LifeSmarts program!

Congratulations to the winning team from Shullsburg! See you in Hollywood!

Welcome LifeSmarts Participants!

2011-02-23T17:18:00.003-05:00

By Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Program Director

As I shoveled 17 inches of snow over the weekend and watched four-foot icicles form off my roof, it was nice to think that in just over two months we’ll be convening in sunny southern California for the National LifeSmarts Championship.

As the weather starts to heat up, competition is heating up, too. We’ve crowned about half of our state champion teams, and teams from Oklahoma to New York will be competing between now and March 30 to round out the field.

National Competition Checklist

As state champion coaches and students begin planning for nationals, here is a checklist to help you prepare:

1. Send NCL photos of your team competing at state to lisah@nclnet.org or danield@nclnet.org

2. Make hotel reservations

3. Send your state champion form to NCL (this was in the packet you received from your state coordinator when you won the state competition).

4. Send your activity form to NCL to reserve tickets to Universal Studios for the afternoon of May 2 (this was also in the packet from your state coordinator).

5. Warm up with the 200-question All Topics TeamSmarts quiz available now through March 31. MA and NY coaches will use this as a pre-competition before their state competitions. All other coaches can request the passcode from their state coordinator.

6. Coaches, mark your calendars to join the LifeSmarts staff for a coach conference call on March 31 or April 5 (the same information will be covered on both calls, plan to join us for one of them).

7. Practice (use the Daily Quiz, LifeSmarts Daily Calendars , and as many practice quizzes as you can to have fun prepping with your team)

8. Pack your sunscreen and swimsuit. Flip flops are optional on the pool deck!

Watch this blog for more news about nationals. Updates will be posted
twice a week.

Good luck and see you all at the National Championship!

2010 National LifeSmarts Championship a huge success

2010-04-28T13:58:00.000-04:00

By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director

Once again, our NCL LifeSmarts team outdid itself - the competitions in Miami finished today amid a great deal of excitement and nail biting as the four semifinalists Arizona, Maryland, Kansas, and North Dakota began their morning competitions, leading to the finals where North Dakota and Maryland squared off, and with the Maryland team scoring a decisive victory and becoming our LifeSmarts champions for 2010.

The Maryland team's coach, a homeschooling and farmer Mom, whose son was captain of the team, explained to me the intense work that went into her kids taking first prize. Since they are all homeschooled, they have more flexibility in their day. She reached out to private and public schools to get their participation, but the officials she talked to said they or their kids were just too busy to devote the kind of time she expected.

So she arranged for her team to meet twice a week for three hours, and they've been doing that since last September. The hardest part for the kids is learning the names of federal agencies and what agencies under them do - like the fact that the Bureau of Land Management falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior. If you live in Washington DC, knowing this kind of information is part of your DNA. However, if you live in rural Frederick County, Maryland and you're 15 or 16 or 17 years old, you have to commit these details to memory. The team visited real people who could teach them valuable information, such as a mortgage officer in a bank and a funeral home owner, to learn about rules regulating funeral home practices under the Federal Trade Commission regulations. They tested each other and researched topics on their own to bring back to the group.

The knowledge these kids from Maryland clearly had gained in preparing for LifeSmarts showed throughout the three days of competitions. They had quick answers to most questions, even on the most complex topics, and seemed at ease with the process. But then again, many of the teams were well prepared and every one of our young participants is surely a savvier consumer after participating in our program.

Our LifeSmarts Team at NCL - led by Lisa Hertzberg and assisted by Brandi Williams, Emily Stevenson, Carol McKay, Theresa Smith, Terry Kush, and Dana Brunson - with a huge assist from Seth Woods, NCL board member and alum of LifeSmarts from Kentucky, surpassed past national competitions by all accounts. Congratulations to the kids, their coaches, their families and thanks to our sponsors for supporting the cause of creating a new generation of consumer-savvy teens.

LifeSmarts in the news!

2010-04-28T11:54:00.000-04:00

Thanks to NBC Miami's Willard Shepard for covering our event! Check out the story that aired last night here.

Congratulations to this year's five LifeSmarts topic area winners! Each topic area champion received a $500 scholarship from NCL.

Environment: Ricky Tabandera, Hawaii
Personal Finance: Robert Dickens, Maryland
Health and Safety: Hafsa Khanum, Connecticut
Consumer Rights and Responsibilities: Gabrielle Sclafani, Rhode Island
Technology: Pierce Donovan,Pennsylvania

Maryland crowned 2010 National LifeSmarts Champions

2010-04-27T14:08:00.002-04:00

Defeating their sister team from North Dakota, the state champions from Maryland were declared national champs in Miami Beach.

If you missed the live action at http://www.lifesmarts.org/, you can watch the archive.

Maryland vs. North Dakota in national championship match

2010-04-27T11:32:00.002-04:00

LIVE now at www.lifesmarts.org

Kansas vs. Maryland streaming live now at www.lifesmarts.org/

2010-04-27T09:19:00.004-04:00

Rankings going into Quarter Finals

2010-04-26T13:40:00.001-04:00

Arizona
Kansas
New Hampshire
Florida
North Dakota
Maryland
South Carolina
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Hawaii
New Jersey
Delaware
Washington
Connecticut
Illinois
Wisconsin
Vermont
Missouri
Minnesota
Kentucky
Indiana
Virginia
New York
Tennessee
Nebraska
Ohio
Oklahoma
Texas
Alabama
District of Columbia
California

Semi-finalists are in!

2010-04-26T13:29:00.005-04:00

Arizona, Kansas, Maryland, and North Dakota have advanced to the semi-finals!

Starting at 9 am Eastern Tuesday, you can watch the teams compete live online! Hosted by MSNBC's Consumer Man Herb Weisbaum, Kansas and Maryland will face off at 9 am, with Arizona vs. North Dakota following.

Check out the action at www.lifesmarts.org!

Quarter finals underway!

2010-04-26T13:00:00.002-04:00

The 8 quarter finalist teams are competing now, in today's last set of matches, to determine who will go on to the semi-finals tomorrow!

Arizona vs. Rhode Island
Kansas vs. South Carolina
New Hampshire vs. Maryland
Florida vs. North Dakota

Check back here this afternoon to meet our semi-finalists, and don't forget to watch them compete live tomorrow AM starting at 9 Eastern at lifesmarts.org

2010-04-26T10:56:00.003-04:00

The 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship has all teams competing seven times at Nationals this year. More teamwork, more knowledge, and more learning happening than ever before -- and, as a result, teams have the possibility of earning more points.

Storm's a-brewin' ...

2010-04-26T10:34:00.004-04:00

... literally and figuratively in Miami Beach!

Rain is coming down in sheets outside, which means our fabulous pool party this evening (thank you, American Express, for sponsoring this event!) will likely be relocated to the Starlight Ballroom on the 18th floor, which boasts a tremendous view of the ocean and city. On the first floor, competition rooms are filled with tension. Teams in contention for the Quarter Finals (those ranked in the top 8 by mid-day today) are checking out the competition, figuring out who they'll be up against next, and doing some last-minute studying.

Check back for news about the Quarter Finalists this afternoon!

Sunday standings

2010-04-25T22:17:00.004-04:00

Here's how things are shaping up, after the online pre-competition Team Smarts, a team written assessment, individual assessments, and two matches -- follow your team's progress in green on the left, and track the rankings in the orange columns on the right.

In the lead: Arizona, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Kansas. Closely behind -- rounding out the top 8 teams (the top 8 will ultimately compete in the quarter finals) -- are Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

What a good looking group!

2010-04-25T22:03:00.007-04:00

2010-04-25T21:50:00.007-04:00

2010-04-25T21:43:00.006-04:00

2010-04-25T21:38:00.006-04:00

2010-04-25T21:27:00.006-04:00

2010-04-25T20:57:00.007-04:00

Ay, ay, captain!

2010-04-25T13:12:00.001-04:00

Congratulations, 2010 State Champion Coaches!

2010-04-25T13:00:00.006-04:00

New for the 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship: teams are invited to nominate their coach for the "LifeSmarts Coach of the Year" Award. Teams who nominate their coach will explain what makes their coach the best: how do they motivate their team? How do they instill LifeSmarts values in their students?

The National Consumers League will honor a distinguished coach this year with a $500 cash prize! Check back Tuesday to learn about this year's winning coach!

Palmer High School pride

2010-04-25T12:15:00.002-04:00

2010-04-25T12:14:00.000-04:00

2010-04-25T12:09:00.001-04:00

Miami Beach Forecast: Perfect

2010-04-24T10:57:00.003-04:00

It's 79 degrees and sunny in Miami Beach, and state champion teams are starting to arrive at the Miami Beach Resort, where the action will begin with a general orientation session tonight.

On the agenda for today:

12:00 – 4:00 pm: Teams Register (Grande Promenade Foyer)
12:00 – 4:00 pm: Team Photos (Balboa)
4:00 – 4:45 pm: Coach & Captain Orientation (Mediterranean West)
4:45: Captains Photo (LifeSmarts registration)
5:00 – 5:45 pm: Welcome Orientation (Mediterranean East)
6:00 – 7:00 pm: Competition 2: Team Activity -- Team Written Assessment (Mediterranean East)
6:00 – 6:45 pm: Coach Meeting & Focus Group (Mediterranean West)
6:50 pm: Coaches Photo (LifeSmarts Registration)
7:00 – 8:00 pm: Dinner & Meet Sister Teams (Grande Promenade)

Inter-Lakes defends state championship title in NH

2010-04-23T15:03:00.005-04:00

By Guest Blogger Dan Hebert, New Hampshire LifeSmarts Coordinator

On March 10th, Inter-lakes High School from Meredith, NH successfully defended its state championship title at the 2010 New Hampshire LifeSmarts State Championship. But the victory did not come easily.

The team from Newfound Regional High School from Bristol, NH – a first-time finalist – overcame first-round jitters by winning the wildcard elimination round followed by a victory in the semi-final round. As soon as their semi-final match concluded, they were back on the stage for the championship match.

Newfound Regional team members - Adam Swain, Chris Woolsey, Tyler Parker, Brooks Bergholm, Justine Bauer and their coaches, Sheila Miller and Susan Blake – battled back and forth with the Inter-Lakes team. The tension and drama increased with every question, and the score remained tied through most of the Challenge Round.

The title was determined by the final question. With Inter-Lakes leading by five points, they buzzed in first, earning the right to answer the question – which they answered incorrectly. Newfound calmly waited for the entire question to be read and then provided an answer that resulted in a long deliberation by the judges. The atmosphere in the room was incredibily tense. The judges ultimately ruled the answer as incorrect, giving Inter-Lakes the victory. The room exploded in excitement and both teams demonstrated an amazing display of good sportsmanship and compassion.

Inter-Lakes team members - Tim Quinney, Ryan Chappuis, Austin Hart, Teddy Willey, Galen Muskat and coach Charles Bates – are now focused on the Nationals in Miami. This year’s state experience should serve them well in the pressure of the national stage.

What’s at stake at this year’s National LifeSmarts Championship

2010-04-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

The prizes are in, and the 32 state champion teams will be playing for quite a spread this year.

In addition to the prizes awarded to the top teams this year, there are two new categories of awards at the 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship:

Coach of the Year, which comes with a $500 prize, and five Individual LifeSmarts Topic Winners, each of whom will also receive a $500 college scholarship.

So, more incentive to do some last-minute cramming, eh? The 2010 National LifeSmarts Champion team will walk away with the following:

$1,000 college scholarship from Experian
$1,000 savings bond from Western Union
$100 Staples gift card from AHAM
$50 Target gift card
Gifts from Boardroom, Hasbro and Southwestern
Honorary membership to NCL for one year

And the winning coach will receive:

$500 Education grant for school/org from DMA
$100 Midas gift card
$100 Target gift card
Gifts from Guittard and Hasbro
National LifeSmarts Championship trophy

2010 Major Donors

2010-04-22T11:47:00.000-04:00

The National Consumers League thanks the following generous sponsors for helping make LifeSmarts the program it is today:

Lead Sponsor
Experian

LifeSmarts Champion
Western Union

Team Builder
American Express
American Century Investments

Question Master
Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Toyota Financial Services
TracFone Wireless, Inc.

Expert
Reckitt Benckiser
Toy Industry Association, Inc.
Toys ‘R’ Us

Scorekeeper
Underwriters Laboratories

Contributor
NCL also thanks the many sponsors at the Contributor Level

Thanks, LifeSmarts supporters!

2010-04-21T11:44:00.001-04:00

NCL thanks the following organizations for donating prizes for the top-placing teams:

Western Union, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Underwriters Laboratories, Toyota Financial Services, Guittard Chocolate Company, Hasbro Games, Midas International Corporation, Southwestern Company

NCL thanks the following organizations for donating goodie-bag items for all participants:

Experian, Western Union, Recording Industry Association of America, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Underwriters Laboratories, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, American Express, Midas International Corporation, International Bottled Water Association

J.P. Stevens High vs. J.P. Stevens High in New Jersey Finals

2010-04-16T16:09:00.002-04:00

The New Jersey State LifeSmarts competition is our earliest state event, taking place each November. The following is a recap of last fall’s competition.

By Guest Blogger Casey Dougan, New Jersey Team Captain

The LifeSmarts New Jersey State finals are over, and it was a very interesting competition as a total of six teams fought it out head-to-head at the State semi-finals on November 23, 2009 for the New Jersey State title. After defeating two teams, the John P. Stevens Hawks advanced to the finals—only to be pitted against their sister team, the John P. Stevens Original!

The final round of competition was a very heated and fast-paced event, with both teams deadlocked for most of the rounds. A pair of sisters proudly represented their school, from opposing teams.

Tension was in the air as each sister excitedly waited for her turn, both hoping to beat out the other. As question master, Carol Otis, read each question carefully and precisely, both teams listed intently and were sure to buzz in as soon as they knew the answer. The judges quickly came to decisions about answers and were strict in enforcing the rule that your name must be called before you speak in the team and challenge rounds.

In the end, John P. Stevens Original advanced to the finals and will be representing New Jersey for the second year in a row at the National LifeSmarts Competition in Miami Beach, Florida in April!

2009 Oklahoma state champs return to represent at 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship

2010-04-15T15:07:00.000-04:00

By Guest Blogger Denise Morris, Oklahoma State LifeSmarts Coordinator

The state Oklahoma LifeSmarts competition was held in Stillwater, Oklahoma on February 3. Six teams from across the state competed in the day long competition. Competing teams were from Porter H.S., Fairview H.S., Edmond Memorial H.S., Waurika H.S., Ponca City H.S. and Broken Arrow H.S.

The new state LifeSmarts champions are from Porter H.S., coached by Sharon Guidrey. This is the second year in a row that Porter has won the state competition, and two of the state champion team members are returning from last year's team. Porter placed third at the national competition last year.

The state LifeSmarts competition is sponsored by Oklahoma Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. FCCLA is one of seven career and technical student organizations in Oklahoma. We are pleased to add Accent Realty who was a sponsor of this year's LifeSmarts competition. The 2011 state competition will be held February 10th in Stillwater.

Teens from Southern High take Missouri state Varsity LifeSmarts title

2010-04-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

Reposted from The Missouri FCCLA Blog

A team from Southern High School in Ellington beat out 12 teams and captured the Missouri State Varsity LifeSmarts Championship by successfully fielding questions about real-life marketplace issues in Jefferson City on February 17.

“The team said it was the BEST DAY EVER. What a joy to get to see them mature into a great team” said their coach, Krista Hampton.LifeSmarts, a consumer education competition that challenges teens in grades 9-12 about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities, is a program of the National Consumers League.

In Missouri, Merilee Thoenen, Supervisor, Family Consumer Sciences and Human Services, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) runs the program. It is coordinated by the Missouri Association of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and the financial sponsor is American Century Investments of Kansas City.

Teens from across the state first competed online for a chance to go to the in-person state finals held February 17 in Jefferson City. State champions from Southern Reynolds County R-II have qualified for the national LifeSmarts competition to be held in Miami, Florida, April 24-27.

“LifeSmarts participants in Missouri have gained many of the consumer ‘smarts’ they’ll need to make it in the real world,” said State Coordinator, Merilee Thoenen. “We’re proud to have Southern High School represent us at the 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship in Miami.”

Other teams participating in the state finals included 2nd place Ava Victory Academy, 3rd place Linn High School, Sherwood High School in Creighton, Maysville High School, Stanberry High School, Stoutland High School, Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Grandview Senior High School, Hermann High School, Frederick Douglass High School in Columbia and Fort Zumwalt South High School in St. Peters.

Cheney High takes WA state title

2010-04-13T12:31:00.008-04:00

Washington State Coordinator Wency Offril, from the Office of the Attorney General, has announced that the winner of the WA state competition is Cheney High School, home of the Blackhawks. Offril reported that AG Rob McKenna stopped by the competition to welcome the students, teachers, and coaches before an exciting day of competition.

Offril thanked her fellow WA State Coordinator Will Rance and his team of WSECU volunteers for their time making the LifeSmarts State Competition a great success.

Offril said she nabbed the chief of the Consumer Protection Division to serve as Question Master at this year’s competition, and he was such a good QM that “he has the job as Question Master from now on--he just does not know that yet!” The secret is safe with us, Wency!

Calling on state champs to pilot our newest resources

2010-04-12T14:34:00.001-04:00

The LifeSmarts program of the National Consumers League recently received an unrestricted education grant from Western Union to produce three new LifeSmarts U lessons aimed at educating teens (and their teachers and LifeSmarts coaches) about fraud. We were so excited to have this support from Western Union and the ability to broaden the content within LifeSmarts U.

The first lesson, Fact or Fake Out, is available to pilot at our teaching resources page at lifesmarts.org. We would especially ask state champion coaches to help us pilot the materials and provide us with their feedback at the Coaches meeting on April 24. As extra incentive, coaches (and their teams) will find that the information covered by this lesson shows up throughout the competitions at nationals this year. (In fact, one team activity will be devoted exclusively to fraud.)

The second lesson, which will debut at the national competition, breaks down the components of fraud so that consumers can recognize the tell-tale signs and appreciate how hard some scammers will work to steal their money.

The third lesson gives students practical tips for protecting themselves from fraud, highlights the importance of reporting it, and identifies the agencies that are there to help. After the pilot concludes, all three lessons will be available on the LifeSmarts U portion of the LifeSmarts Web site this summer.

Coaches getting prepped for Nationals format changes

2010-04-09T18:25:00.003-04:00

By Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Program Director

Florida-bound LifeSmarts coaches recently joined conference calls to learn more about the upcoming national competition. The energy and enthusiasm were contagious – now we’re really excited to see you all Miami Beach, FL, later this month!

Format changes were the focus of the calls. To briefly recap:

All teams compete eight times (four buzzer matches, and four assessments) – and those advancing to the quarterfinals compete even more!
Point totals are cumulative
Teams may challenge answers and be awarded points following competition
Winning teams, individual students, and coaches will all be recognized for high achievement

To learn more, view the PowerPoint at our site and the fact sheet.

As we mentioned on the coach call, students can expect to work hard, and they should realize that they won’t know all the answers (and that’s OK!), but we are certain that they will arrive in Florida ready for the challenge!

Rivalry continues in Rhode Island

2010-04-01T12:37:00.007-04:00

By guest blogger Jim Hedemark, RI Jump$tart Coalition Executive Director, Rhode Island LifeSmarts Coordinator

Dreams of Miami Beach, intensified by the rain pouring outside the State House on Friday, March 26th, were set aside in favor of the immediate business of brackets and buzzers as the 2010 Rhode Island LifeSmarts competition got underway. Six teams representing Ocean State high schools from Barrington, Burrillville, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield, and Tolman vied for the prestigious Consumer Cup.

Secretary of State, A. Ralph Mollis who spoke to students during the certificate ceremony about the importance of civic involvement and consumer awareness applauds the program, “I am extremely proud of every one of the students who competed. Their parents should know that their children represented their families and schools tremendously at our State House.”

“March Smartness VI” presented by CollegeBoundfund, as we call our state finals, held all of the excitement of the basketball tournament by a similar name, but thanks to the Verizon Pioneers the food was much healthier than you might find at a sports venue. Along with volunteering as officials, the Pioneers make sure that nutrition isn’t just a LifeSmarts topic at our state finals each year.

More than 20 volunteers gave their time to fill the official duties, including scorekeepers, all accounting majors from Providence College, who would use a lot of ink recording points by Barrington and North Providence … as has been the case in the Ocean State for the six year history of our competition.

The Rhode Island “LifeSmarts Legends” page shows program dominance of these two schools with North Providence winning state titles in ‘05, ‘06, ‘08, and ‘09, and Barrington in ‘07 and ‘10.

In order to claim the 2010 Consumer Cup, Barrington had to beat the defending state champions from North Providence in the final round and again in overtime due to our double-elimination format. North Providence had bested Barrington in the second round of competition earlier in the day. This was a reversal of fortune from the 2009 competition where North Providence pulled off the same difficult feat over Barrington.

As quoted in a great article by Brenna McCabe, Valley Breeze Staff Writer, Barrington Captain Gabrielle Sclafani said, “I’m so excited for this. We came in second three years in a row, and we worked so hard this year.”

Peter Kerwin, spokesperson for CollegeBoundfund, the Rhode Island 529 college savings program reflects on the overtime round, “The only thing more gratifying than the overtime intensity was the 529 question that was posed in the tie-breaker.”

Perhaps Paul Horwitz, FDIC Boston Area Office Community Affairs Specialist, a veteran official at state and national LifeSmarts wraps us memories of March Smartness VI the best …

“It may be that the Consumer Cup and the chance for a trip to Miami Beach were the immediate rewards, but as today’s students become tomorrow’s adults, LifeSmarts competitors will have a significant advantage over their peers. Students involved in LifeSmarts know many of the answers to real life issues, where far too few of their peers may not even understand the questions.”

We look forward to following Barrington at nationals and although two teams in Rhode Island have presented LifeSmarts fans with over half a decade of intense rivalry, I have my eyes on a couple of young programs that will surely bring their best to future state competitions and earn a new home for the Consumer Cup.

Dallas High takes PA title in Harrisburg

2010-03-25T12:41:00.003-04:00

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Assistant

Coordinated by the Office of the Attorney General in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania state LifeSmarts competition was originally scheduled for February 23. However, due to unexpected weather conditions resulting from “Snowpocalypse 2010” in the northeastern region of the country, the event was rescheduled to March 2.

Extreme weather didn’t stop the nine top-placing Pennsylvania LifeSmarts teams from packing their bags and heading to the capitol city of Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania competition was full of energy and excitement, from students, coaches, and volunteer staff, including members of Attorney General Tom Corbett’s staff. “We have such a great team [of volunteers] here,” said Nina Correale, who works in the Public Protection Division of the PA Office of Attorney General. “Everyone loves this program.”

Seven intense matches of competition led to a final match between Elizabethtown Area High School and Dallas High School. The teams were tied right through the end of the match, with Dallas High School winning the match by a single point.

State coordinator Donna Reinaker and her staff of volunteers ensured that all PA participants had a fun and educational experience. “I am a huge fan of LifeSmarts, and have told the Attorney General that LifeSmarts should be mandatory in high school,” said Brian Roche, consumer reporter for WGAL News 8, in his remarks as Question Master for part of the competition. “This stuff is going to stay with you for the rest of your life. This is why I come back every year.” Check out WGAL’s coverage of the competition here.

Linda William, Chief Deputy Attorney General and Director, was impressed by the breadth of knowledge required by teens in the program. “The questions are fantastic,” Williams said. “One question asked when you should discuss the possibility of a trade-in when buying a car. How great was that?”

As the Pennsylvania State Champions, the Dallas High School team and their coach, Kevin West, have earned the chance to represent their state at the LifeSmarts National Championship in Miami Beach, FL next month, competing against other state champion teams from across the country. We wish them luck, and look forward to seeing them in Miami Beach next month!

Little LifeSmarts!

2010-03-22T14:19:00.005-04:00

LifeSmarts JV Coach Frances Lucas from Romig Middle School in Anchorage, Alaska, sent this photo of her team wearing the official 2010 LifeSmarts shirts they received for placing first in the online JV competition for their state.

Congratulations, Romig!

Palmer Panthers II takes Massachusetts title

2010-03-18T16:29:00.003-04:00

Massachusetts State co-Coordinator Sharon St. Louis with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston reports that the LifeSmarts State Competition held March 10 was very successful, with a total of 16 varsity teams and 3 Junior Varsity teams competing. The winning team from Palmer High School, coached by Helena Naglack, is pictured here. Congratulations!

Energy-packed state competition hosted in Richmond, VA

2010-03-17T10:23:00.007-04:00

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Assistant

With a format that closely resembles the National LifeSmarts Championship, the Virginia LifeSmarts Competition is a fast-paced, energy-packed event that is fun to both watch and be a part of. The Virginia LifeSmarts competition was held on March 5 in Richmond, just 100 miles away from the National Consumers League’s Washington, DC office. I kept my fingers crossed all the way there, in hopes that I’d brought along the right shoes – the Virginia LifeSmarts Coalition, which coordinates the state program, puts everyone to work!

Virginia LifeSmarts held its 15^th state competition at the Virginia Commonwealth University campus located in downtown Richmond. Hosting 11 teams and running up to five competition rooms simultaneously, Virginia’s competition was a busy one that required the combined efforts of coalition members and volunteers to run smoothly and effectively. The LifeSmarts Coalition, headed by Dr. Celia Hayhoe of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), recruited and coordinated more than 30 volunteers to officiate in competition rooms.

As each match increased in difficulty, the final round of competition was between George C. Marshall High School and Maggie Walker Governor’s School. Teams in the audience cheered these surviving two teams on, as they battled it out for the state title. At the end of a nail-biting match, the Maggie Walker Green Dragons eventually took the Virginia State Champion title.

Teams and officials were particularly excited to have the Honorable Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, officiate as Question Master for the final round of competition. General Cuccinelli was a natural first-time QM, making sure that the top two teams were at ease on the final match stage. Question Master for the semi-final rounds of competition was Assistant Attorney General Courtney Malveaux, a long-time supporter of LifeSmarts and regular volunteer official at the Virginia LifeSmarts competition.

Nail-biter LifeSmarts match in Minnesota comes down to final question

2010-03-16T18:37:00.001-04:00

By Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Program Director

What an exciting day of competition in Minnesota! The Minnesota State LifeSmarts Competition came down to the final question, with Willow River leading Prior Lake by just 10 points. The final question was read in pin-dropping silence:

You recently purchased fuel at a gas station and believe you did not receive as much gas as the pump indicates. Who would investigate this?

A Willow River student buzzed in–but the answer given was incorrect. The question was re-read and a Prior Lake student buzzed in – with a chance to tie the match and send it to overtime – but also gave an incorrect answer.

The dramatic end to the competition made one thing certain: none of the students on stage or in the audience will ever put gas in their car again without remembering the correct answer (your state, county or local Department of Weights & Measures).

Willow River won the nail-biter 90-80 to repeat as state champions, moving through the double-elimination grid with its only loss to Prior Lake in the semi-finals. Congratulations to Willow River Coach Lois Johnson and her team!

In hosting the competition, State Coordinators Maili Frison and Barb Grieman were joined by a number of their fellow staff members from the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota, including President Dana Badgerow, who congratulated all the teams and presented a $1,500 travel grant to the winning state champions to use towards getting to the national event in Miami.

Fifteen teams competed hard throughout the day and all teams are to be commended for the consumer smarts they demonstrated during the day-long event held at the Wilder Foundation in St. Paul, MN.

End of an era for Illinois LifeSmarts

2010-03-03T18:54:00.002-05:00

By Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Program Director

I just returned from a very successful Illinois state LifeSmarts competition at West Chicago High School in West Chicago, Illinois, hosted by State Coordinator Don Zabelin at his home school. Zabelin coached the winning team that will represent Illinois in Miami Beach in just seven weeks! Before heading to Florida, the West Chicago 1 team members will be studying up on 529s, simple interest, and mattress flammability, but they had a very strong showing in all other areas and ran the table to go unbeaten in the double-elimination competition.

For years, Zabelin has always had a great group of volunteer competition officials representing organizations such as the IL AGO, FTC, IL Securities Commission, Money Management International, Bridgestone, and DeVry University. He makes time during the competition to allow students to hear from all of the officials, and Wally Kleinfeldt of the BBB had perhaps the most direct message of the day, encouraging the students to always do their homework as consumers before any major purchase: “You’ll be doing homework for the rest of your life.”

This competition marked the end of an era, as Zabelin passed the torch to Debra Bartman, who will take over the role of Illinois state coordinator this summer. We wish Don the best as he retires after 33 years of teaching – congratulations on a wonderful career! Don, stay in touch – and don’t forget to write several hundred LifeSmarts questions for us in your newly-found spare time!

Florida champs declared in Tampa

2010-03-01T12:23:00.004-05:00

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Assistant

There is nothing better than seeing LifeSmarts in action!

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to travel from the National Consumers League’s office in Washington, DC to attend the Florida state LifeSmarts competition in Tampa. As NCL staff prepares for the National LifeSmarts Championship in April, also to be held in the state of Florida, we are always excited when we have the chance to attend a state LifeSmarts competition and visit with our state partners.

The Florida LifeSmarts program, coordinated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Affairs, hosted its 2010 state competition at the Florida State Fairgrounds on President’s Day, February 15, 2010. On a day where many students were out of school for the 3-day holiday weekend, 13 student teams from all over the large state of Florida were in attendance to compete for the title of LifeSmarts State Champion and to represent Florida at Nationals.

Teams traveled for five to six hours from far-away cities including Jacksonville and Freeport to showcase their dedication—to not just LifeSmarts, but also to consumer literacy—affirming their commitment to learning the necessary skills to be educated, savvy consumers in today’s changing marketplace. The rounds of competition were tough, culminating in a neck-and-neck battle between the reigning state champs, Seminole County 4-H team and Paxon SAS Varsity from the Paxon School for Advance Studies. While the match was close, Seminole 4-H once again took the title will be on their way to Miami in April.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Affairs Commissioner Charles H. Bronson was there to cheer teams on. He also gave remarks and congratulations to all 13 teams in attendance, and presented the winning team and coaches with a check for $3,300 on behalf of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Affairs.

State Coordinator Gwen Worlds recalled how enthusiastic Commissioner Bronson was when he attended the 2008 LifeSmarts National Championship held in Orlando, FL. “He jumped up from his seat and cheered the Florida team on,” Worlds said. “It was encouraging to the Florida team.”

Congratulations to all teams at the Florida LifeSmarts Competition, and the best of luck to Seminole 4-H in Miami Beach in April!

State LifeSmarts champs declared in Washington

2010-02-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

This just in from the Evergreen State: A winner has been declared in Washington! Cheney High School has taken the crown of Washington State LifeSmarts Champions and are headed to Miami.

Wency Offril, in the office of the state coordinator, reports that Rob McKenna, Washington State Attorney General, stopped by the state competition, held earlier this month to make welcome remarks to the students, teachers, and coaches before the day of matches started and was gracious enough to stay to take pictures with each team.

Chief of the Consumer Protection Division had a great time serving as Question Master. Offril thanked coordinator Will Rance and his team of WSECU volunteers for putting on a fun day for all involved.

Follow the excitement of this and other Lifestate state competitions and the media coverage we’re seeing on our site.

Vermont state champs determined in Montpelier

2010-02-21T20:45:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month, the Vermont LifeSmarts program, coordinated by VT Jump$tart, hosted their state LifeSmarts championship at the Pavilion Building in Montpelier, VT. The Pavilion Building also happens to be where the governor’s office is located, near the state Capitol building.

Six teams -- made up of all first-time LifeSmarts competitors -- fought for the title and the chance to compete in Miami: the Dream Team from Champlain Valley Union High School; the Iron Chefs of Biz, North Country Career Center; the Lamoille Union High School Lancers; the Winooski High School Spartans; Carpe Diem from Green Mountain Technology and Career Center; and Common Grounds, the team from the Stafford Technical Center.

Emerging victorious, with a final score of 155 to 130, were the Iron Chefs of Biz, hailing from Newport, VT. Coached by Nancy McDermott and Gillian Staniforth, the five students beat outthe Dream Team from Champlain Valley Union High and will make their way to Miami in just a couple months.

“They were neck-and-neck until the team-plus questions, and then The Iron Chefs of Biz pulled ahead and retained the lead through the team activity and Challenge Round,” said Lynette Kemp, a Vermont state coordinator.

Due to the generous donations of Vermont state LifeSmarts sponsors, National Life Group; VSECU; Grippin, Donlan and Roche; Carol Jenkins; and WVMT/WXXX radio, all expenses are paid (except for a few meals perhaps) so the state champs from the Green Mountain State can focus on preparing to compete against the best of the rest from across the country April 24-27.

“The Iron Chefs of Biz will be studying hard and practicing for the nationals. This is their first trip to the nationals, and they are excited to be able to participate,” said Debra Behm, who coordinates the program with Kemp.

Coordinators Kemp and Behm attribute the state competition’s success to volunteers from New Hampshire: Dan Hebert, NH Jump$tart president and New England regional director, and two others from the Granite State’s Jump$tart program, Kathy Belanger and David Rienzo, who traveled to Vermont to help Vermont with its state competition. The New Hampshire program will host its state championship on March 10, 2010 in Manchester, NH.

Congratulations to the winning team, and good luck at Nationals in April!