LifeSmarts is a consumer program for teens. Entering its 30th year, Lifesmarts provides real-world education for students who learn about core consumer topics and develop critical thinking skills. The goal of LifeSmarts is to create consumer-savvy young people who will be well equipped for adult life in today’s complex, global marketplace. Participants focus on five key topic areas:
- Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
- The Environment
- Health and Safety
- Personal Finance and
- Technology
LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. This organization is America’s oldest consumer organization, representing consumers and workers on marketplace and workplace issues since our founding in 1899. NCL provides government, businesses, and other organizations with the consumer’s perspective on concerns including child labor, privacy, food safety, and medication information.
The LifeSmarts program provides competitions for both high school and middle school level youth. High school youth participate in person at both the state and national level. The middle school program allows youth to only participate in an online environment.
Delaware 4-H will hold a state competition to determine the team who will be selected to represent Delaware at the 2024 National LifeSmarts Competition to be held April 18-21, 2024 in San Diego, CA. Sponsorship for the Delaware 4-H team to attend and participate at the national competition will be provided by Discover Bank.
To learn more about the LifeSmarts contest, visit the following link:
LINK: https://lifesmarts.org
This link provides information for the following:
- Student Competitors
- Coaches
- Take the Daily Quiz
- About LifeSmarts
LifeSmarts Varsity Competition (High School Grades 9-12)
State Competition Date: February 25, 2024
Location: Delaware State Fairgrounds – New Castle Building
Time: TBD
Team Requirements: Four (4) youth in grades 9 to 12 in high school.
Team members do not need to be members of the same 4-H club. Members may consist of youth from any 4-H club within the same County.
Coach(es): Each team is required to have at least one (1) coach. Two (2) coaches are encouraged to provide assistance and back-up for the team. A coach can be a 4-H staff member, 4-H club leader or 4-H certified volunteer. Coaches form teams, enter teams into the designated system, prepare teams for competition, collect permission forms, and chaperone teams at in-person competitions.
Competition Process: Our state contest will be a “live in-person” single round elimination bowl competition. Two teams will compete against each other in each round with the winning team advancing to the next round of competition. This process will conclude with the final two teams competing and a winner being named from this competition. Questions will be asked by a designated proctor with responses provided by team members.
Registration Information
Coaches need to register a new team as soon as possible. After this registration is completed, 4-H youth will register as a team member.
LINK: https://competition.lifesmarts.org/register/
Competition Information
LINK: https://lifesmarts.org/competitions/ (Click on Varsity Competition section)
This site provides the following information:
- Monthly TeamSmarts Quizzes
- State Varsity Championship
- National Varsity LifeSmarts Championship
Junior Varsity Competition (Middle School Grades 6-8)
The Junior Varsity Competition takes place online. There is no in-person competition. Students begin online where they use LifeSmarts resources, practice competitions, and, when they’re ready, compete for a final score. Students must complete this competition by the end of March.
LINK: https://lifesmarts.org/competitions/ (Click on Junior Varsity Competition section)
This site provides the following information:
- Monthly TeamSmarts Quizzes
- Online State Junior Varsity Championship
- Virtual National Junior Varsity LifeSmarts Championship (top scoring team from Delaware 4-H will be invited to participate in this virtual event to be held May 9-10, 2024).
LifeSmarts Training Resources
LifeSmarts makes educational resources available to prepare for contest. These resources include lessons, team activities, presentations, videos, content vocabulary, question-of-the-day calendars, and much more.
LINK: https://lifesmarts.org/resources/
This link provides the following:
- Resources by Category
- Resources by Type
- LifeSmarts U (allows youth to explore consumer topics in more depth)
- Questions of the Day Calendar
- Retired Competition Questions
- LifeSmarts in a Box
- Vocabulary
TeamSmarts
TeamSmarts, the LifeSmarts Web-based team competition, is a great practice tool for a team of students to use together. Each month from September through February, teams are asked 100 multiple-choice questions. Prizes are awarded each month to the top-scoring Junior Varsity, Varsity, BPA, 4-H, FBLA, FCCLA, and SkillsUSA teams (one prize per year, per school or individual club/organization).
Delaware 4-H State LifeSmarts Page
Visit the State LifeSmarts page for Delaware 4-H at the following link:
LINK: https://lifesmarts.org/state-competitions/delaware/
In addition to the competition, LifeSmarts also provides scholarship opportunities and other awards to students who use LifeSmarts-sponsored community service projects to make a positive impact in their communities.