LifeSmarts

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Missouri LifeSmarts

LifeSmarts teaches high school and junior high school students about:

  • personal finance,
  • consumer rights and responsibilities,
  • technology,
  • health and safety, and
  • the environment.

LifeSmarts develops the consumer and marketplace skills of teenagers in a fun way and rewards them for the knowledge they demonstrate. The program complements any curriculum in high schools and junior high schools and can be used as an activity for classes, groups, clubs, and community organizations.

LifeSmarts is an integrated educational program that can be used in math, science, language arts, social studies, career education or any curriculum to expand the general knowledge of students. It is open to students in grades 6-12. 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.

LifeSmarts is a teacher resource, a student resource and a place for competition!

Visual Guide to LifeSmarts in Missouri

If you have never given LifeSmarts a try, this could be the year for you to try the resources, lesson plans, competitions, and community service projects!  https://lifesmarts.org/state-competitions/missouri

For more information, contact: molifesmarts@dese.mo.gov or (573) 751-6878.

 

2023-2024 Calendar of Events

State Competition paperwork due: Wednesday, January 17, 2024

State Competition Dates: JV - Tuesday, February 13, 2024; Varsity - Wednesday, February 14, 2024
                                         Make-up dates: JV - February 15; Varsity - February 16

State Competition Location: First Mid Bank & Trust, Jefferson City

The Varsity state winner will be invited to compete at the LifeSmarts National Competition. The competition is free.

Nationals LifeSmarts is April 18-21, 2024 in San Diego, CA

State Competition

Congratulations to all students and coaches who participated in the 2023 Missouri LifeSmarts State Finals! 

Congratulations to the 2023 Varsity State Champs Clearwater High School Tiger Ambush

2023 Varsity State Champs Clearwater High School Tiger Ambush

Congratulations to the 2023 Junior Varsity State Champs Owensville Middle School Seek #1

2023 Junior Varsity State Champs Owensville Middle School Seek #1

LifeSmarts Winners Announced

Junior Varsity

  • 1st            Owensville Middle School Seek #1
  • 2nd           Blair Oaks Middle School
  • 3rd           Owensville Middle School Seek #2

Varsity

  • 1st                 Tiger Ambush, Clearwater High School     
  • 2nd                Odessa Bulldogs, Odessa RVII High School
  • 3rd                 Comet Commanders, Fatima High School

 

Congratulations to Lebanon Technical Career Center and Clarkton R-4 High School that were awarded Norton Wild Card Teams and received a travel stipend to cover hotel rooms, travel costs, and coaches’ stipends.  These two teams and our 1st place Varsity team from Clearwater represented Missouri at Nationals April 27-30, 2023, in Cincinnati, OH.

Junior Varsity Competition

Junior Varsity LifeSmarts is a consumer education competition that challenges teens in grades 6-8 about personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. It is a program of the National Consumers League.

Youth from across the state first compete online for a chance to go to the in-person state finals held annually in Jefferson City, MO.

Varsity Competition

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. 

Teens from across the state first competed online for a chance to go to the in-person state finals held in January or February in Jefferson City. State varsity champions will compete at the national LifeSmarts competition to represent Missouri.

TeamSmarts

TeamSmarts is a web-based team competition. Each month from September through January teams are invited to take a 100 point multiple-choice quiz focused on one LifeSmarts topic. Quizzes are open for the entire month. Prizes are awarded each month by nationals.

There are five categories of TeamSmarts teams. There are JV teams, Varsity teams, FBLA teams, FCCLA teams, and 4-H teams. FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) teams must be coached by a business (FBLA) or family consumer science (FCCLA) teacher and all of the members of those teams must be members of the student organization. Each winning team from each of the three categories receive $100 for winning that monthly competition nationally.

More information on this program can be found here: https://lifesmarts.org/teamsmarts/

Resources

Sample Competition Questions

Question of the Day Calendars

Coach's Guide

National LifeSmarts Resources

 

Additional Resources/Websites

MIEF link.  http://mief.org/

Yes You Can Financial Education from American Century Investments

Practical Money Skills

Spent- Virtual simulation about living on a minimum wage job 

On Guard Online- FTC online security tips and resources

Sponsors

Missouri LifeSmarts Sponsors:

Missouri Family Consumer Sciences and Human Services Education

Missouri Association Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)

Missouri Insurance Education Foundation

National LifeSmarts Sponsor:

National LifeSmarts is sponsored by the National Consumers League (NCL), based in Washington D.C. Founded in 1899, it is a national nonprofit organization that identifies, protects, represents and advances the economic and social interests of consumers and workers through education, research and advocacy.