 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Client Services Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday 9am to 6pm
Friday 9 am to 5 pm |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Media Center
|
|
back to Media Center
LIGHTHOUSE CREDIT FOUNDATION'S DREAM TEAM I WINS STATE LIFESMARTS CHAMPIONSHIP
From the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact: Gwen Worlds
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- (March 1, 2005)-
Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson has announced a five-member team of high school students from the St. Petersburg-Pinellas County area won the State LifeSmarts Championship held recently at the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
The team competed against 16 other finalists from around the state in the day-long event. All of the students competed online earlier in the year for the opportunity to attend the state competition.
The Department's Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Mike Salario was on hand to congratulate the team and present team members and their coach will with a check for $4,200 from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The money will be used to defray expenses to the national competition, scheduled for April 16-19 in San Francisco, California.
Community Relation's Director Terrie McGowan of Lighthouse Credit Foundation in Largo, served as the team's coach. Team members are Branka Kordic, Ashli Levitz, Sylvia Dine, Chris Stansel, and Chris Cullen.
LifeSmarts is an innovative consumer education competition that tests students in grades 9-12 about personal finance; health and safety; the environment; technology and telecommunications; and consumer rights and responsibilities. The program is designed to make students to think seriously about these important issues through a challenging, game show format.
"LifeSmarts is an educational program, and the Internet-based competition coupled with the in-person game-show format provides a fun and challenging way to involve the students," Bronson said. "I encourage students, club members and teachers from across the state to participate in the competition when the opportunity becomes available again in September 2005."
High school students spend billions of dollars each year, but studies show that many lack knowledge about consumer issues. Through the LifeSmarts program, students learn how to obtain answers to practical problems, like buying a car and insurance, or applying for a credit card.
"These are skills that will last a lifetime," Bronson said, "and ensure that these young people make sound business decisions now and in the future. Armed with this knowledge they are much less apt to fall prey to con artists and will save themselves thousands of dollars over the years by making good consumer choices."
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state sponsor of LifeSmarts. The Department is the state's lead agency for consumer issues and regulates various businesses, such as motor vehicle repair shops, health studios, telemarketers, business opportunities and charitable solicitors. It also operates as the state's clearinghouse for consumer complaints and maintains the Consumer Helpline 1-800-HELPFLA (435-7352).
The national coordinating group for the LifeSmarts program is the National Consumers League (NCL). Founded in 1899, the league is a national non-profit organization that identifies, protects, represents and advances the economic and social interests of consumers and workers through education and advocacy. NCL operates LifeSmarts and works in partnership with other nonprofit government and education groups in the states. Community-minded businesses, associations and government agencies provide the financial support to make LifeSmarts available free of charge to students nationwide.
"There are no losers in the LifeSmarts competition," said Linda Golodner, president of the National Consumers League. "All participants win by learning to avoid common consumer pitfalls, navigate the government, and understand credit card jargon before they have to sign on the dotted line."
The Florida online competition involved more than 40 coaches with over 440 students from public and private high schools, FFA and 4-H clubs, and home-schools, competing in the Internet competition, which ran continuously from September 21, 2004 until January 14, 2005. The five St. Pete-Pinellas County students competed against students from 16 other teams during the state competition called "LifeSmarts ... The Ultimate Consumer Challenge." The 17 teams that competed for the state title were from the following cities:
- Brooksville FFA, Brooksville (four teams)
- Keystone Heights High, Keystone Heights
- Duval County 4-H, Jacksonville
- Wildwood High, Wildwood (two teams)
- Cedar Key School, Cedar Key
- Seminole County 4-H, Sanford
- Largo Lighthouse Credit Foundation (six teams)
- Robert Hungerford Prep High, Eatonville
To learn more about the LifeSmarts competition, check out the LifeSmarts web site at www.800helpfla.com/lifesmarts.html or contact Gwen Worlds, Florida LifeSmarts coordinator, at (850) 410-3702.
|
 |
|
Lighthouse Credit Foundation is not a loan company
|
|
|
|
|
|
