LifeSmarts consumer literacy program launches first-ever mobile app – National Consumers League

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November 22, 2016

‘LifeSmarts Adventure’ offers fun alternative way to study, compete, win prizes on virtual cross-country tour of national parks

Contact: Cindy Hoang, NCL Communications, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—LifeSmarts, a national consumer literacy program and scholarship competition for middle-school and high-school students, today announced the launch of its first mobile app, available for smart phones through Web browsers. The new app, “LifeSmarts Adventure,” offers LifeSmarts participants a unique, fun approach to study content, compete, and win prizes. Visit LifeSmartsAdventure.org to view.

The first LifeSmarts Adventure is a virtual, cross-country road trip touring five U.S. national parks. The second version of LifeSmarts Adventure, with a new theme and content focus, will launch in the new year. To play, students answer a series of LifeSmarts curriculum questions at each stop. The app tracks progress and leaderboards show top-scoring travelers. The top three participants earn trophies that stay with them on future LifeSmarts Adventures, with new episodes released periodically throughout the LifeSmarts program year (which runs on a traditional academic calendar). Students who earn trophies will have the chance to win prizes.

LifeSmarts Adventure is a web-based app that is best rendered on a mobile device using a browser with an Internet connection, but the app may also be viewed using a computer at lifesmartsadventure.org. The app was made possible by a new partnership with LifeLock, Inc., (NYSE: LOCK), an industry leader in proactive identity theft protection.

“The app is an exciting extension of LifeSmarts,” said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “Designed as a practice tool for LifeSmarts students to quiz themselves and see how they measure up against others across the country, it is also a fun and accessible way for all consumers to test their marketplace savvy.

The LifeSmarts Adventure app features:

  • Focus on LifeSmarts content: The first episode of LifeSmarts Adventure focuses entirely on personal finance topics, such as money management and investing
  • The ability for students to practice on their own mobile device
  • A leaderboard that students can follow to see how they score compared to their peers across the country
  • Opportunities for recognition, virtual completion badges and trophies, and prizes such as gift cards
  • Easy-to-use, attractive interface
  • Fun theme of a National Parks road trip

Beta testers from the LifeSmarts Student Advisory Board enjoyed their sneak peek of LifeSmarts Adventure, saying they cannot wait for the app to launch and be available to all students. In particular, they liked the variety of questions, the content covered, the fun graphics, and the leaderboards. Visit LifeSmartsAdventure.org to get the app.

Sample questions from LifeSmarts Adventure include:

A credit card is an example of _____ credit, a mortgage loan is not.

  1. Revolving (correct)
  2. Closed-end
  3. Single-payment
  4. Installment

Financial planners help people with more than just investing.

  1. True (correct)
  2. False

A _____ is a diversified investment, a single stock is not.

  1. Bond
  2. Certificate of Deposit
  3. Mutual fund (correct)
  4. Checking account

The FDIC protects consumers if:

  1. The stock market crashes
  2. Banks fail (correct)
  3. Treasury bonds bottom out
  4. Inflation hits double digits

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About the National Consumers League and LifeSmarts

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. 

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. LifeSmarts focuses on five main content areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, personal finance, technology, health and safety, and the environment. Students are quizzed on their knowledge of these subject areas during online competition. Top-performing teams then advance to statewide competitions, and state champion teams advance to the national championship held each year in a different American city. The 2017 National LifeSmarts Championship will take place April 21-24, in Pittsburgh, PA. Winning teams receive scholarships and other prizes.

LifeSmarts offers American students the chance to get a head start on the responsibilities of adulthood before being thrown in to the marketplace through educational curriculum and scholarship / prize opportunities. Pre- and post-testing on related consumer issues show LifeSmarts participants, on average, see their scores increase from a C to a B+/A-. Last year, students answered more than 3 million competition questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between. To learn more, visit www.LifeSmarts.org.