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!  Find our more about state competitions here!

For more information, contact: maddie.harris@missourifccla.org or 417-274-8990.

2025-26 Calendar of Events

• Missouri Qualifying Quizzes (Virtual): November 1 - December 19, 2025
• Missouri State Competition in Jefferson City, MO: January 27, 2026
• Snow-Date: January 29th, 2026
• Varsity National LifeSmarts Championship in Orlando, FL: April 15-18 2026
• JV National LifeSmarts Championships (Virtual): May 6-7 2026

State Competition

Summary of 2025 State Competitions

Congratulations to all teams who participated in LifeSmarts this year. We had several new teams sign up to take our total number of teams well over 100. All teams who completed the individual category quizzes were able to compete for the in-person state competition. Teams then qualified by taking a 100 question State TeamSmarts quiz. The top eight scoring varsity teams were invited to Jefferson City mid-February for the live quiz bowl State competition. This also included six JV teams over a two-day competition.

Varsity Teams included the following:

Fatima, Blair Oaks, Valley Park, Owensville, Clearwater, and Nixa. After a close competition, Valley Park pulled through with the win to secure their spot in the National LifeSmart Competition in Orlando, FL.

Junior Varsity Teams included the following:

Fatima, Blair Oaks, Valley Park, Owensville, and Marshfield. After a full day of competition, Fatima Comets pulled the win over Blair Oaks in the championship round.
 
This event is sponsored and funded by Family and Consumer Science, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and we had three additional sponsors this year: Missouri Insurance Education Foundation (MIEF--they have sponsored us for a second year), Missouri Employers Mutual, and First Mid Bank and Trust. They have made it possible to help keep this an in person contest that provides lunch both days, a t-shirt for all participants and coaches, and we give a $500 stipend to the winning Varsity team to help defray costs to Nationals. We also could not do any of this without the continued support of our awesome community volunteers who each year bring back their knowledge and enthusiasm to the students and the State competitions. This program is for any/all students that have the support of a coach and realize the incredible importance of learning these life skills are just what every student and adults need to know. 

 

LifeSmarts Winners Announced

LifeSmarts Winners Announced

Junior Varsity

1st - Fatima Comets

2nd - Falcons 1

3rd - Owensville Middle School Seek 2

Varsity

1st - Valley Park 

2nd - Falcon

3rd - Owensville High School Seek

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.

1st Place Team:

Comet Commanders - Fatima
Tara Vignola, Coach
Edie Bauer, Eli Bock, Collin Walters, Lena Feltrop, Raigyn Johnson

2nd Place Team:

Falcons 1 - Blair Oaks Middle School
Jessica Mason, Coach
Alex Niekrasz, Liam Hake, Hayden Ownbey, Joel Lueckenhoff

3rd Place Team:

OMS Seek 2 - Owensville Middle School 
Liz Clancy, Coach
Wyatt Tumbrink, Luke Shields, Chase Hiatt, Tate Dixon

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.

1st Place Team:
Valley Park FCCLA - Valley Park High School 
Ruth Koehr, Coach
Owen Royal, Brayden Kiefer, Leah Gruendler, Peter Grittini, Steven Ermer (Team Captain)

2nd Place Team:
OHS Seek - Owensville High School
Liz Clancy, Coach
Lorelai McDaniel, Kelby Herbel, Christopher Kroon, Logan Kiesling

TeamSmarts

TeamSmarts is a web-based team competition. Each month from September through January teams are invited to take a 50 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.  

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:

Thank you to our sponsors!