Thanks, Visa!

The LifeSmarts program has a lot to be thankful for this year—consumer-savvy teens representing 32 states will compete at this year’s national event later this week in Philadelphia. Program participation throughout the 2011-2012 year has been excellent: more than 15,000 teens answered more than 3 million consumer questions online for a chance to represent their states at the 2012 National LifeSmarts Championship.

Looking towards the future, LifeSmarts shows every sign of growing bigger and better than ever. Last season, Visa 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! See you in Philly!

‘Seven minutes in heaven’ for your brain: Speed Dating the Experts

Every year, dozens of highly-respected experts serve as LifeSmarts judges. They come from all over the country, and bring a strong knowledge of business, consumer, and government policy to our tournaments. This year, in addition to their traditional duties behind the judges’ table, they'll also be “working the room” during our new competition. It’s a fast-paced event we're calling “Speed Dating the Experts.”

So here’s how LifeSmarts speed-dating works: each expert will be at a table, and teams will have exactly seven minutes to complete the activity before them, earning as many points as possible. Though each team will meet ten of the experts, there are only five game formats. The game you play depends on the expert you’re with at the time.

These are the five games:

1. Just Say It: It’s just like “Password.” Remember that game? Me neither. Look it up online, Betty White used to play it all the time.
2. Take A Spin: Players use a spinner to determine which topic they will tackle.
3. Jolt to the Brain: Just like the popular Lightning Rounds: ten rapid-fire questions in a row.
4. Slam: Teams are given very short clues (very short--like three letters) and have to identify the concept.
5. Picture This: Teams have to decipher pictures and explain the concept of six image sets--like this one:

Get it? War and tea = warranty!
Don't forget to explain what it is.  

As a kicker, some of the experts will have a “Super Seven” bonus. The team will have to guess a word or phrase, and the expert can give them clues...for a price. For each clue, the bonus goes down by one point. Since teams will only have one chance to guess at a Super Seven, strategy will be crucial.

The highest possible score teams can earn (without bonuses) in this competition is 120 points, but hopefully teams will get more from it than mere points. This is an opportunity for teams to better know the people who make LifeSmarts possible every year, and who knows? One may make some new friends along the way.

Meet the Arizona state champs

Submitted by Scott Bearchell, Arizona team captain

The FiveGuys are a team from Flagstaff, Arizona. We are an Internet team since our state doesn't have a state competition. Our state is the 48th in the Union and we are celebrating our Centennial this year! Scott Bearchell, team captain, and Christopher Carsey have been on the Arizona team before; Christopher in Miami and Scott in Miami and LA. Morgan Maycumber, Noah Shute, and Paul Bearchell are new this year, but all of them have had a sibling who was on the team in years past. Scott, Christopher, and Paul play varsity tennis for Flagstaff High School. Morgan, along with the rest of the team, plays on a competitive airsoft team. Since Christopher is a long distance runner, our team must run up the Art museum's "Rocky" steps in Philadelphia. Our team is extremely excited to be a part of the LifeSmarts National competition in Philadelphia and are looking forward to meeting other teams including our sister team, Florida, and representing the state of Arizona in the competition.

Marshall High School takes Virginia

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Manager

This was my third year attending the Virginia LifeSmarts state competition in Richmond. Held on the gorgeous University of Richmond campus on a beautiful early spring day, teams from across Virginia competed for the chance to represent the Commonwealth at the National LifeSmarts Championship in Philadelphia.

Following the Nationals format, the Virginia competition used cumulative scoring to determine its finalists. This added tons of excitement to the competition, since it allowed all teams to remain in the running for most of the day! The Honorable Matt Lohr, Commissioner of Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, served as Question Master for the Final match between the Marshall High School Statesmen I team and the Henrico County 4-H WYSIWIG team, and the match was close! But the Statesmen I took the competition and title of Virginia State Champion by one question, and I look forward to seeing them again at Nationals!

As always, I had a fantastic time at the competition in Richmond. The dedicated members of the Virginia LifeSmarts Coalition always strive to give the amazing teams who attend the annual competition a meaningful, educational and, most of all, fun experience, and they succeeded again this year. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Celia Ray Hayhoe, Virginia’s long-time state LifeSmarts coordinator, everyone had an amazing time. I can’t wait to do it again next year!

Good luck from LifeSmarts alumni

Video greetings from college students Gabi Sclafani, LifeSmarts first Consumer Rights & Responsibilities topic winner, and Ben Shand, a member of the 2010 Rhode Island LifeSmarts state champion team. The two sent this congratulations video to this year's RI state champs in preparation for nationals in Philadelphia. Thanks, RI State Coordinator Jim Hedemark, for sharing this fun video with us! It's a good luck video aimed at Barrington High School champs, but it has some good advice for everyone. Thanks, Gabi and Ben!

Remembering Dr. Celia Ray Hayhoe

Dr. Celia Ray Hayhoe, left, with NCL Board Chair Anna Flores,
at the 2011 LifeSmarts Summit in Los Angeles.

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Manager

It was with great sadness that we recently learned that long-time LifeSmarts Virginia state coordinator, Dr. Celia Ray Hayhoe, passed away on March 16, 2012. Dr. Hayhoe was one of the most caring people I have ever met. In 2009 she invited me to my very first LifeSmarts competition in Richmond, and welcomed my questions (and sometimes befuddlement) with warmth and kindness. It was such a surprise to hear of Dr. Hayhoe's passing, as I’d seen her only the week prior at the 2012 Virginia LifeSmarts competition, working hard to make the event as special and memorable for the participants as she possibly could.

Dr. Hayhoe worked tirelessly to support the people and programs she cared about. Although she was stepping down as the Virginia LifeSmarts coordinator this summer, she assured me that she was planning to remain an active member of the Virginia LifeSmarts Coalition. Her daughter Janice shared with me that Dr. Hayhoe truly cared about LifeSmarts. “I’m sure there is a big part of her that will always be a part of the programs that she really loved and supported,” Janice wrote. “My mom took her work very seriously and she truly cared for the people she worked with and the people they helped. Her dream was to help others feel safe and have some security in their lives so that they could follow their dreams; she accomplished this dream every day of her life. I know her spirit will forever live on in our hearts.”

Since joining the LifeSmarts team in 2005, Dr. Hayhoe went above and beyond the call of duty, making contributions to the program that would have a lasting impact. At the first ever LifeSmarts Summit in 2011, Dr. Hayhoe strongly encouraged LifeSmarts staff to build into the program’s curriculum a stronger emphasis on real-life consumer issues teens face immediately upon entering adulthood, such as renter’s rights.

“Celia was a staunch, thoughtful advocate for consumer education, and she challenged us to improve the LifeSmarts program over the years,” said Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts Director, who worked with Celia during her seven years as LifeSmarts coordinator. “Celia had a measurable impact on the program, in her state, and at the national level, and LifeSmarts is a richer, better program thanks to her.”

Dr. Hayhoe was an associate professor and Family Resource Management Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in Family and Consumer Resources with a minor in Finance and was a Certified Financial Planner and faculty member in the Department of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management. Dr. Hayhoe recently developed the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Financial Education Volunteers Program with Extension’s Family Financial Management Leadership Team and AmeriCorp Vista partnership.

Dr. Hayhoe touched many lives very deeply, including my own. She will be sorely missed.

March Smartness VIII in Rhode Island

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

AG Peter Kilmartin, Jeffrey and Rita
Michaelson, Marcia Reback,
and Sec. of State A. Ralph Mollis

LifeSmarts prepares teenagers for their futures, and yet at this year's Ocean State competition our proudest moments came as we paid tribute to the past. On Friday, March 30 at the Rhode Island State House before our final match, we held a special ceremony in the House Chambers to unveil the newly renamed, Julius C. Michaelson Consumers' Cup after former Attorney General Michaelson (1975-1979), who passed away last November. 

State Champion Captain Brenden

Forte fills in the champion bracket.

Rhode Island Secretary of State, A. Ralph Mollis and Attorney General, Peter F. Kilmartin read messages by former Attorney General Michaelson to the General Assembly from the mid 1970's through which he communicated the newly formed Division of Consumer Protection's initial efforts, and proposed legislation including assertive action to create (among other items), open meetings of the utilities companies, freshness dates on food, "bait and switch" schemes, debt collection abuse, and corporate responsibility. Both state officers underscored the similarities between the economy of the '70's and today citing high unemployment, rising gas prices, and the rising cost of health care.

Hedemark with Jeffrey and

Rita Michaelson

Marcia Reback, former President of the RI Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, AFT, AFL-CIO, spoke about the Michaelson Act, which was passed in 1966 when Michaelson was a State Senator, giving teachers the right to collective bargaining. We are proud that Mrs. Julius C. Michaelson (Rita), and Michaelson's son Jeffrey joined us during the ceremony.

At the 2012 LifeSmarts Rhode Island State Finals, which we affectionately call March Smartness VIII, buzzers buzzed and brackets were busted, even yielding a Cinderella story. Rounding out our "Frenetic Four" are; Burrillville who claimed fourth place for the second time in eight years. Mt. Hope shocked LifeSmarts nation by claiming third place in their first-ever trip to the state finals. East Greenwich, who lost their opening round, battled their way back to the final match, but ultimately fell to Barrington who went undefeated all day and claimed the state championship for the third time in eight years.  They took home the Michaelson Consumers' Cup and include students:

Captain Brenden Forte, Rahul Chander, Matthew Groetelaars, Stephen Lamontagne (all seniors), and junior Jack Liang. Coached by Business Teacher, Karen Proule, the Barrington Eagles are eagerly preparing for nationals and look forward to meeting fellow competitors from across the nation!

Enthusiasm for consumer issues making impact on pro advocate

By Teresa GreenTeresa Green is the Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow at the National Consumers League. She works on a variety of issues related to food safety, nutrition, and alcohol labeling. Teresa represents NCL on the Make Our Food Safe Coalition, which works to improve food safety systems in the U.S., and as part of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, which works to promote healthy eating and physical activity.


Last Thursday, I had my first experience with LifeSmarts, serving as both a judge and then question master at the DC competition. The thing I most took away from the competition was the energy of the kids competing. Even when they were behind or struggling with difficult questions, these kids were excited to be there and excited to be competing for the chance to go to Nationals in Philadelphia.


As someone who does consumer advocacy for a living, I am sometimes guilty of taking the excitement for consumer issues I encounter for granted. The energy of these kids, their dedication to the competition and the knowledge it tests, reminded me that not everyone has the opportunity to be so well informed. As we move closer and closer to Nationals, we’re so excited to have teams of kids who are passionate and excited about these issues. As a consumer advocate, I am inspired to think that I may be interacting with the next generation of advocates.

Cool confidence coming out of Fenton High, Michigan's returning champs

By Michigan Team Captain Nick Sanborn
Michigan - The Great Lakes State! (Lots of Fresh Water Everywhere)


Competition was held at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan on February 17.

We are from Fenton High School and our team was put together from the top scorers from our Business classes. We use the LifeSmarts quizzes as warm up activities and practice for the state competition.

I am the captain and only returning team member this year, having gone to Hollywood last year, but I am confident my team will adjust to the new venue and we will compete well.

At the State Competition most of the questions were fairly simple; although there was a few that were more challenging as well. However, we came into the competition with a "we're going to win" attitude, so we were pretty confident of the outcome. Because of this confidence there weren't any major nail biters for us.

I know on behalf of my team that we are excited to be able to take part in this competition and are extremely happy and honored to have this opportunity to represent our community and school.

We are looking forward to the excitement of the competition, staying in a nice hotel, eating a Philly Cheese Steak and meeting/socializing with everyone at the competition.

Mr. Burwitz is our coach and Business teacher; he has been very helpful in our preparation and in the planning of this trip. We would also like to thank the Better Business Bureau of Michigan (BBB) for the organizing of our state event, and their generous support to help make this trip possible for our team. Special thanks to Crystal Kontos our State LifeSmarts Coordinator for all her hard work and support.

Preview from Rhode Island!

Milton High School takes Massachusetts

By Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Program Manager

I’m thrilled that I had the chance to attend the Massachusetts LifeSmarts competition in Boston this year! Coordinated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and held in their amazing offices in downtown Boston overlooking the Bay, I had the opportunity to see Massachusetts pride at its best.

Teams from across the state were in attendance, and there was so much incredible energy and excitement, from students, coaches and long-time LifeSmarts officials! It was fun to catch up with old friends from the Boston Fed, and meet coaches I’d only interacted with via phone and email and fax, and it was also great to see 2011 Massachusetts Champions, Palmer High School!

Something fun about the Mass competition: their judges use a buzzer to accept or reject questions! So when a team gets the answer correct, you hear a pleasant “Ding!” and when the team gets the answer incorrect, you hear an angry “BZZZZZ!” I got such a kick out of that!

At the end of a fun-filled day, the finalist teams from Milton High School and Palmer High School were neck-and-neck until the Challenge Round, and Milton High eventually took the game. It was a fantastic, nail-biting match, and both teams did an amazing job. I look forward to seeing the Milton team again at Nationals!

We want to hear from you!

The 2011-2012 year-end survey is live and now is the time to give us your feedback! Each year, we welcome hearing from coaches and students about your experiences using LifeSmarts, as we strive to make LifeSmarts even more meaningful for participants each coming year.

Your opinions count! Because of your feedback on this student survey last year, we began offering the opportunity to take practice quizzes on one topic only. This meant that, for students who felt shaky on issues like credit, insurance, and housing, they had the new chance to brush up on personal finance. As a result of student survey feedback, students now get to select both your difficulty level and the topic (or you can still select "all topics" to emulate a real quiz) for each practice quiz that you take.

Please take 5-10 minutes to answer a few questions on our online surveys, which will help guide us in improvements for next year.

Student survey - click here

Coach survey - click here