View past winners of the State Lifesmarts Competition
2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011
- Online competition: September 12 - December 9, 2011
- State competition: February 20, 2012
- National competition: April 21 – 24, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the proud sponsor of the State of Florida LifeSmarts Program. Students, club members, and teachers from across the State of Florida are encouraged to participate in the competition!
What Does LifeSmarts Teach Teens?
LifeSmarts is a flexible classroom or group activity that teaches teens to be smart and responsible consumers and citizens. The content and competition questions focus on five key areas of consumer knowledge that teens need to know to function effectively in today's marketplace. These areas are:
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Personal Finance
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Health and Safety
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Environment
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Technology
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Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
In addition to the important information and knowledge that participants gain, they also develop teamwork, self-esteem, verbal communication skills, leadership abilities, and have fun competing. LifeSmarts changes behavior toward better decision-making and better use of money and resources. It provides teens with a good understanding of their consumer rights and responsibilities. Because many teens begin work during high school, LifeSmarts helps them understand workplace protections, too. It teaches them to spot and avoid frauds and scams, and to make smart choices. Brochures, booklets, videos, teaching guides, textbooks, websites, and other educational resources provided by governmental agencies, businesses, consumer groups, and trade associations are the source of this information that can easily be obtained by any consumer.
Who Can Participate?
LifeSmarts is free and open to all teens in the 9th through 12th grade. The participation of special needs students, exchange students, alternative schools, work study groups, home school groups, clubs, and community organizations is encouraged and welcomed. LifeSmarts is available throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and American military bases abroad. The program is completely accessible to students with disabilities.
Is There a Fee to Participate?
LifeSmarts is FREE to any group of teenagers and their coach who want to participate. There is no fee or registration cost to participate in LifeSmarts. The players will need a few hours away from school and work for the state competition. If the team advances to the national competition, time away from school should not exceed two days.
How can I participate?
Each player and team must have an adult coach (18 years or older) and that coach must register for the program through the National LifeSmarts Program before any team member can play. The coach will be given a team code. Each player on the team must use the team code.
It is recommended that five students comprise an in-person team. Each team must have a minimum of 4 players in order to compete in the state competition.
Each player will go through a series of three tests that will quiz their consumer awareness. After they complete round one, they may immediately start round two. Or if they prefer, they may come back and take round two another time. Just remember, they must complete all three rounds in order to qualify for the team. Students can expect the quizzes to get more difficult as they progress. Once a player passes a quiz, they can immediately take the next level quiz. Or they can wait to take the quiz at a later time.
The top players from each team will be identified and the coach will be notified. The top teams will be invited to an in-person state competition (in this case, Florida). Any person traveling to a state competition will be required to sign a permission and release form.
The 2012 state competition will be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa Florida on Monday, February 20, 2012. The national competition will be held April 21 - April 24, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To learn more about LifeSmarts, visit the LifeSmarts National Website.
View past winners of the State Lifesmarts Competition
2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011
