LifeSmarts is a free, national consumer literacy program that gives young people skills they need to become successful adults. The program teaches practical knowledge about core consumer topics including:

• Personal finance (career planning, taxes, education and income, credit and debit and more)
• Consumer rights and responsibilities (fraud, contracts, marketplace economics and more)
• Health and safety (disease and medicine, healthcare, first aid, nutrition and more)
• Technology (social networks, computing, cyber ethics, privacy and security, and more)
• Environment (waste management, water and land, energy, atmosphere and more)

How it works

• Get a team together. Each team is required to have an adult leader as a coach (educators, 4-H leaders, parents, community leaders who work with youth, etc.). Coaches form teams, prepare teams for competition, collect permission forms and chaperone teams at in-person competitions. Each team must have a minimum of four players to compete.
• Take monthly quizzes. Each month from September through February, teams compete by taking 100-question multiple-choice online quizzes. First place teams receive a $100 cash award.
• Participate at the in-person state competition for a chance to attend the national competition.
• Teams that win at the state level are invited to represent the state at the National LifeSmarts Championship. The winning team will receive a scholarship from UI Extension 4-H Youth Development to help with travel expenses.