April SmartStart

Financial Literacy Month
Celebrated annually in April since 2004, Financial Literacy Month serves as a yearly reminder of the importance of being financially literate and encourages people to establish and maintain healthy financial habits.

In a recent survey conducted by the Council for Economic Education, 35 states now require students to take a course in personal finance to graduate. Additionally, 28 states require some study of economics for graduation, with implementation through existing courses such as government, social studies and civics classes.

In 1994, LifeSmarts began educating teens about personal finance as well as consumer rights & responsibilities, health & safety, technology & workforce preparation, and the environment through lesson plans, challenges, and competition. Our National LifeSmarts Championship, which will be held April 18-21, in San Diego, CA, celebrates 30 years of providing teens with financial literacy knowledge.

There’s still more work to be done to ensure that every young person in America has equal access to financial education regardless of where they live, go to school, or their social and economic backgrounds. LifeSmarts is your partner to educate teens about personal finance topics as well as many other lifelong skills. Working together, we can ensure that our students are prepared for positive financial futures.

Many of our participants have experienced Spring Break sometime over the last few weeks. Spring Break is a time when the pressure of exams and school projects fade away, and sunny destinations draw students from far and wide. Sadly, for some, turning Spring Break dreams into reality often feels like a financially impossible challenge.

With proper planning, teens can reach the goal of a spring break trip that aligns with their budget. Teens should begin by identifying their financial boundaries and setting realistic spending limits. Early planning and booking can save money and prevent financial stress before and during the trip.

Consider destinations such as hidden gems close to home, picturesque towns and off-peak destinations where costs are friendlier. Opt for less touristy beaches and explore neighboring coastal towns and consider local cultures and affordable accommodations.

Entertainment can break your budget quickly, so consider free local events, explore nature trails and indulge in low-cost cultural experiences. Likewise, food can easily “break the bank” so opt for local markets and affordable eateries. Share meals with travel buddies and explore grocery stores for budget-friendly options.

Since April is Financial Literacy Month, what better way to teach teens the value of budgeting than by using their recent spring break trips as a focus.

LifeSmarts U has excellent lessons that can help, including: Budgeting, Credit, Decision Making, and Let’s Talk About Money. These lessons will help your students prepare for the future, including spring break.

LifeSmarts StudySmart Guides

Check out our new LifeSmarts StudySmart guides to help you jump into focused content. Our new guides focus on everything from Online Safety to Moving Tips. And there is much more to come!

30th National LifeSmarts Championship
The 30th National LifeSmarts Championship kicks off April 18 in San Diego, CA. During the event, 47 LifeSmarts teams from all over the nation will showcase their knowledge while exhibiting sportsmanship and teamwork as they compete for over $35,000 in scholarships and prizes, the coveted Florence Kelley Cup, and the title of 2024 National LifeSmarts Champion.

Be sure to watch your email for a special notice to tune in to watch the National LifeSmarts Championship Semi-finals and Finals LIVE on Sunday, April 21 beginning at 8:30 AM PST, 9:30 AM MST, 10:30 AM CST, 11:00 EST and 5:30 AM HST. You won’t want to miss it!

March Mayhem TeamSmarts Quiz Winners
Thanks to all the participants in the new March Mayhem TeamSmarts Quiz!

Congrats to these TeamSmarts Challenge winners! Each winning team receives a $100 cash prize.
Varsity: North East High School, North East, PA
Junior Varsity: Columbia County 4-H JV, Columbia County 4-H, Georgia 4-H
4-H: Cobb 4-H Varsity 2023, Cobb County 4-H, Georgia 4-H
BPA: Polaris Career Center BPOT Team 1, Polaris Career Center, OH
FBLA: Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL

TeamSmarts will resume in our 31st season with our first challenge in September 2024.

SkillsUSA Health & Safety Challenge Deadline April 30th

SkillsUSA teams still have time to compete in the LifeSmarts SkillsUSA Health & Safety Challenge. The LifeSmarts SkillsUSA Health & Safety Challenge is open until April 30 at 11:55 PM EST. Cash prizes will be awarded to the highest scoring high school (Varsity) teams. Visit this page to learn more! Use this information to register. To make it easier, just the Coach and the Team Captain have to register online, but SkillsUSA teams competing in this event may have between three and five members per team, with one member serving as the team captain. Chapters may have as many teams as they like. This is excellent practice for the SkillsUSA Health Knowledge Bowl and the SkillsUSA Quiz Bowl. Questions? Contact LifeSmarts at cherylv@nclnet.org. Good luck to all our SkillsUSA advisers/coaches, students and teams!

Complete our coach survey to win gift cards
We’ve grown our reach and shared a lot of new materials this year, and want to continue to improve the LifeSmarts experience for all our coaches and students. Please take five minutes to complete the end-of-year coach survey. All coaches who complete the survey will be entered to win gift cards! Coaches, we would especially appreciate quotes from you about your LifeSmarts experience. Deadline to complete the survey is May 15, 2024. Thank you for your feedback and for your participation in LifeSmarts.

Dates to remember this month

Teams attending Nationals should adhere to deadlines in the Nationals Coach memo and the weekly San Diego Celebration Central e-news.

-April 18-21 – 30th National LifeSmarts Championship for Varsity teams
-May 2 and 3 – Tech checks with Junior Varsity Champion teams for Online National Junior Varsity Championship
-May 9 and 10 – First Virtual National Junior Varsity LifeSmarts Championship
-May 15 – Deadline to fill out Coach Survey