Delaware Department of Justice sponsors LifeSmarts in its 25th year
The Delaware Department of Justice is sponsoring the 2018-2019 season of LifeSmarts, a national scholarship competition and educational program for middle school and high school students that tests knowledge of real-life consumer issues and aims to create a future generation of consumer-savvy adults. Coaches can register and create teams, and students may register and compete online.
LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, and operated at the state level by volunteer coordinators, led in Delaware by Deputy Attorney General Gillian Andrews of the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Unit.
This year, the program, now live online at LifeSmarts.org., celebrates its 25th anniversary season.
“We are thrilled that Delaware is part of LifeSmarts’ 25th year of bringing invaluable consumer literacy lessons and scholarship opportunities to teens in our state,” said DAG Andrews. “I am consistently impressed with the level of knowledge and information the competitors gain, as well as the resounding sportsmanship of the students.”
LifeSmarts focuses on five main content areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, personal finance, technology, health and safety, and the environment, with students quizzed on their knowledge of these subject areas during the online competition, which runs through February 16, 2019. Top-performing state teams then advance to the National LifeSmarts Championship taking place in 2019 from April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida. Winning team members receive scholarships and other prizes.
Last year, students answered more than 3.5 million consumer questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between, including:
- What is the proper way to dispose of used motor oil?
- Your creditor may say you are in arrears if you fail to do what?
- What holiday is celebrated on the third Monday in January, and honors one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders?
In addition to online, state, and national competitions, LifeSmarts recognition and awards occur throughout the program year:
- Teams of students vie for cash prizes in the online TeamSmarts quiz, which focuses on a specific LifeSmarts content area each month through January.
- Classroom mentor programs: Throughout the year, ten $1,000 scholarships are awarded to winning LifeSmarts students who become Safety Smart Ambassadors, using LifeSmarts content to present safety messages to younger children in their communities.
- Partnering with FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America), LifeSmarts offers special competitive events for student members of both student leadership organizations. FBLA and FCCLA team members have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes, trophies, and other honors.
LifeSmarts is active in all states and the District of Columbia, where NCL is headquartered.
For more information, and to learn how to register, visit LifeSmarts.org.