NATIONAL CONSUMERS LEAGUE PRESS RELEASE Selah Students Recognized with Top Honors in Lifesmarts

NATIONAL CONSUMERS LEAGUE PRESS RELEASE Selah students recognized with top honors in LifeSmarts competition at FCCLA National Leadership Conference in San Diego

For immediate release: July 28, 2016 Contact: Cindy Hoang, NCL, (202) 207-2832, [email protected]

Washington, DC—Earlier this month, students from Selah High School, in Selah, WA, competing at the 2016 Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference (NLC) took home top honors for winning first place in a FCCLA LifeSmarts competitive event held during the conference, July 3 – 7, in San Diego. More than 4,500 high school students from across the country competed in 32 competitive events, including the FCCLA/LifeSmarts Knowledge Bowl, during the FCCLA NLC.

LifeSmarts is an educational and scholarship program run by the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization. LifeSmarts competitively tests high school students’ knowledge of consumer awareness, with subjects including personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights and responsibilities, technology, and the environment. The free program is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in partnership with student leadership programs FCCLA, as well the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Thanks to the partnership with FCCLA, traditional LifeSmarts topics are expanded to include tourism, housing and fashion design, and early childhood development to focus on family and consumer sciences-specific content in the competition.

In San Diego, the top 16 FCCLA LifeSmarts teams competed over the course of two days. On Sunday, July 3, teams competed in pool play, competing three times for cumulative points. The top eight teams advanced to a knock-out bracket, which determined the final match-up between Selah High School and the team from J.P. Stevens High School, Edison, NJ. On Wednesday, July 6, the two finalist teams competed head-to-head in front of thousands of spectators to kick off the FCCLA Business Meeting held during the NLC.

Students attended the FCCLA conference to enhance expand their networks, attend workshops, and compete in FCCLA STAR events, including the LifeSmarts competition.

LifeSmarts honors in San Diego

Students from Selah High School in Selah, WA, coached by Michelle McCartney, took home first place in the LifeSmarts competition. The team is made up of students Andrea Cox, rising Junior, Elise Dibble, rising Junior, Ada Erickson, rising senior, Dane Hall, rising Junior, and Hayley Kroll, rising senior.

Other winners included:  J.P. Stevens High School from Edison, NJ, coached by Patricia DiGioia-Laird (2nd place)  Brookings High School from Brookings, SD, coached by Joline Dunbar (3rd place)  Campus High School from Wichita, KS, coached by Renae Spangler (4th place)

“We are so proud of all the LifeSmarts competitors. Throughout competition they exemplified the strength of the LifeSmarts and FCCLA partnership, showcasing team spirit, good sportsmanship, leadership, and a breadth of knowledge in financial literacy and family and consumer sciences,” said Lisa Hertzberg, LifeSmarts program director.

The LifeSmarts competition is part of a comprehensive, national, competitive events program sponsored by FCCLA, in partnership with the National Consumers League, which recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of family and consumer sciences and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers. In addition to competitions, students immersed themselves in interactive workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and heard from motivational speakers on a broad range of topics.

About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org, email [email protected] or call the National Consumers League's communications department at 202-835-3323.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

About FCCLA Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has more than 160,000 members and more than 5,400 chapters from 48 state associations, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

FCCLA: The Ultimate Leadership Experience is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members, and it’s the only career and technical in-school student organization with a central focus on family. Participation in national programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in families, careers, and communities.