NCL to host first ever LifeSmarts Summit in Torrance, CA January 24-26 – National Consumers League

January 20, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League has announced it will host the first-ever LifeSmarts Summit in Torrance, California later this month, convening experts in the arena of education, family and consumer sciences, and corporate consumer communications to assess and evaluate the 17-year-old program’s curriculum and plan for expansion efforts. The nation’s oldest consumer group, which runs the national teen education competition, hopes the three-day summit, hosted by Toyota Financial Services, a long-time LifeSmarts supporter, will result in a strengthened curricular foundation and a plan for implementing expanded outreach efforts. The first ever LifeSmarts Summit has been made possible from a cy pres grant awarded to NCL.

“In light of how dramatically the marketplace has changed in recent years, having become more global, more confusing, and lined with more traps for consumers than ever before, now is the time to roll up our sleeves to assess and redefine the curriculum educators are using to prepare the next generation of consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “American youth often graduate from high school, enter the workforce, rent apartments, lease cars, and apply for credit cards as illiterate consumers. There’s never been a stronger need for current, quality consumer curriculum, and we are delighted to convene a stellar group of experts to ensure that modern consumer education meets these challenges.”

Media Advisory

What: LifeSmarts Summit

Saturday, January 22: LifeSmarts program staff and state coordinators will train 30 educators, mentors, and community leaders to introduce them to LifeSmarts, focusing on high schools in East Los Angeles.

Sunday, January 23: 65 teenagers from East LA high schools, including members of the East LA Boys & Girls Club, will be brought in to be trained as future LifeSmarts participant-leaders.

Monday, January 24-Wednesday, January 26: Consumer literacy experts convene to validate consumer content, concepts, and develop educational activities to infuse consumer topics into the classroom and group settings.

When: January 22-26, 2010

Where: Toyota Financial Services

Saturday and Sunday: TFS South Campus

19001 South Western Avenue, Torrance, CA  90501

Monday: Toyota Plaza, 1411 West 190th Street, Gardena, CA  90248

Who: Participants include:

Curriculum and consumer education experts including past and current leaders from the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) and FCCLA; university professors in consumer sciences; nonprofit consumer advocates; representatives from the Federal Reserve; business executives from Toyota Financial Services, Visa, American Express, and Western Union, and others

Those interested in attending should contact NCL’s LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg, (651) 699-3650, lisah@nclnet.org

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About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts, the Ultimate Consumer Challenge, is a 17-year-old consumer education program of the National Consumers League. The competition covers five topic areas in consumer sciences: personal finance, health and safety, technology, the environment, and consumer rights and responsibilities. Teens form teams, coached by volunteer educators and other adults, and compete online for a chance to participate in state and national championships. The program is coordinated at the state level by volunteers in more than 30 states, including Better Business Bureaus, consumer protection offices, banks, and others. Each year, participants answer more than 3.5 million consumer related quiz questions online, and more than 125,000 students participate in LifeSmarts curriculum in classrooms across the United States.

For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org,  email lifesmarts@nclnet.org , 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.