Are you interested in teaching your young people about consumer skills? Skills that provide them with critical thinking skills and various tasks that prepare them for adulthood? How about fun monthly activities that lead up to an in-person competition (aka a culminating activity)? Check out the below information from Brittani Lee, Georgia 4-H Life Smarts Coordinator. Mrs. Lee shares various tools to include a webinar link about LifeSmarts. It is a quick turn-around to start a formal team, but there might be some flexibility. Reach out to Laura Goss if you plan to register.
Message from Mrs. Lee-
With a new school year comes a brand new year of LifeSmarts! LifeSmarts is the ultimate consumer challenge. This comprehensive consumer education program is open to 6th-12th grade 4-H’ers. The main goal of the program is to create consumer-savvy young people who will be well-equipped for adult life in today’s complex, global marketplace. Participants focus on five key topic areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, the environment, health and safety, personal finance, and technology/workforce preparation. There are opportunities for teams to earn $100 while preparing for LifeSmarts through monthly TeamSmarts quizzes, scholarship opportunities, LifeSmarts Nationals Wild Card bids, and much more! The sky is the limit with LifeSmarts!
The Georgia LifeSmarts contest year will officially kick off on Monday, September 19th! Coaches and teams can begin registering online on Monday. Even if you are a returning coach, you will need to re-register your teams since it is a new website. You can begin working with your teams and utilize the coach’s resources on the LifeSmarts website now. The top four Varsity teams(9th-12th graders) and the top four JV teams (6th-8th graders) will advance to our in-person state contest on Monday, February 20th, 2023 at Rock Eagle. For new coaches or others that missed our LifeSmarts kick-off in August, check out the Zoom recording from the session below.
How to register? ***Be sure to register your teams as a 4-H team beginning on Monday, September 19th.***
- Visit the LifeSmarts Home page at the following link: https://lifesmarts.org/
- The website has lots of study materials, resources, and other information about the LifeSmarts program
- Helpful Coach’s Tools: https://lifesmarts.org/resources/
- New Coaches Tips: https://lifesmarts.org/coaches/new-coaches/
- Georgia LifeSmarts Kick Off Zoom Recording: https://kaltura.uga.edu/media/t/1_342ajg0h
TeamSmarts
Each month there are opportunities for teams to earn $100 through the TeamSmarts test. This month’s theme is Health and Safety and it will officially launch on Monday September 19th. The deadline is typically at the end of each month however they will extend the deadline to Friday October 7th due to the delayed start. If you miss this month’s, no worries! There is one each month until February. This is a great starter activity for your teams! Check out this link for more information: https://lifesmarts.org/teamsmarts/
LifeSmarts Dates at a Glance
- September 19th– National LifeSmarts Kick Off
- January 31st, 2023- 4-H Nationals Wild Card Deadline **Tentative date, will confirm when more information is available**
- February 1st– Georgia LifeSmarts contest closes
- February 20th – Georgia LifeSmarts State Championship, Rock Eagle 4-H Center
- April 27-30, 2023- National LifeSmarts Championship, Cincinnati, Ohio
If you have any questions about the program or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or Courtney Brown, your Georgia LifeSmarts co-coordinators. We look forward to a great year with Georgia LifeSmarts!