LifeSmarts is a national educational competition focused on personal finance and consumer topics. It complements the curriculum already in place in schools and can be used as an activity for classes, student leadership organizations, clubs, and community organizations. This free program, open to 6th-12th-grade students in the United States, quizzes students about personal finance, technology & workforce preparation, consumer rights & responsibilities, health & safety, and the environment.
LifeSmarts is a national partner with FBLA and provides three separate events for FBLA-affiliated LifeSmarts teams:
1. The FBLA LifeSmarts Challenge
2. State and National LifeSmarts Championships
3. Monthly TeamSmarts Quizzes – win a cash prize!
The LifeSmarts FBLA Challenge
The LifeSmarts FBLA Challenge is a competitive event that begins online, and the 12 top-scoring teams, (but only one per state), from both the Fall and Spring Challenges advance to live, in-person competition at the National Leadership Conference the following summer. Two FBLA members join an FBLA team and compete individually and together. Learn more about the LifeSmarts FBLA Challenge.
• Two Challenges are offered during the school year:
o Fall Challenge: October 16 – November 10, 2023
o Spring Challenge: January 29 – February 23, 2024
Advisers, use these instructions to register as a coach, create your team(s) and have your students register.
State and National LifeSmarts Championships
Love learning and competition? As a separate activity, FBLA chapters may register as Varsity (high school) teams and participate in State and National LifeSmarts Championships.
• Four- or five-person teams compete online to advance to state competitions and possibly the National LifeSmarts Championship in April.
• Teams must complete the online qualification quizzes before their state’s online closing date.
• Click here to review the registration process for online competition.
• Qualifying teams compete in the State LifeSmarts Championship, either held in-person or online, and the winning team is invited to represent the state at the National LifeSmarts Championship.
• Teams attending the National LifeSmarts Championship, held over four days in a major US city, compete at least seven times, in four different types of competition, against teams from across the country. Prizes include post-secondary scholarships, gift cards, and more.
Wild Card Team for the National LifeSmarts Championship
FBLA teams may also apply to be selected as a Wild Card team to compete at the National LifeSmarts Championship. Interested teams of 4-5 students, working with an adult adviser or coach, must complete the Wild Card application process. The winning team will receive a $1,000 travel stipend (and may be eligible to receive additional funding) to attend the National LifeSmarts Championship in April. To learn more about applying as a Wild Card team, click here.
Monthly TeamSmarts Quizzes
Both FBLA and Varsity LifeSmarts teams are invited to compete in the monthly TeamSmarts competition by working together to complete a 100-question quiz on a highlighted LifeSmarts topic each month from September through February. Quizzes appear under the team Captain’s quizzes. The top scoring FBLA and Varsity teams each receive $100 cash prizes each month.
Prizes include post-secondary scholarships, gift cards, and more.
Free LifeSmart Resources
Educational Strategies and Applications
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LifeSmarts has been educating the next generation of consumers for nearly 30 years. LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League, which was founded in 1899 and is America’s pioneer consumer organization
