2008.12.11
Students can compete in online contest
Middle and high-school students can compete an online competition designed to teach them about consumer pitfalls.
The LifeSmarts contest, sponsored by the National Consumer Leauge, asks teens throughout the nation to test their knowledge of personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology and consumer rights and responsibilities. Local teams can compete online for a chance to attend Virginia's state competition in early March.
"With LifeSmarts, teens learn to avoid common consumer pitfalls, navigate government, and understand credit-card jargon before they sign the dotted line," said Celia Ray Hayhoe, Virginia's LifeSmarts coordinator and a Virginia Cooperative Extension family resource management specialist at Virginia Tech.
The winning state team receives an all-expense, three-day paid trip to St. Louis, Mo., for the national competition on April 25. Last year's winning state team from Spotsylvania High School placed third in the nation.
For the first time this year, students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade can participate online in a Junior Varsity competition. The top two Virginia teams in the junior varsity competition will be invited to the Virginia LifeSmarts competition in March to vie for the state junior varsity title.
An adult coach must register any team online before it can participate. Entries will be accepted until Feb. 6.
