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NCL blasts house vote to embolden pyramid schemes – National Consumers League

September 14, 2017

Contact: John Breyault, NCL, (202) 207-2819, johnb@nclnet.org or Cindy Hoang, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) is deeply disappointed at the inclusion of language in an appropriations bill approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives that will enable pyramid schemes to proliferate, putting millions of consumers at increased risk of financial harm.

The amendment, sponsored by Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI), purports to create a federal definition of pyramid schemes and protect consumers. In fact, the language is a thinly-veiled attack on the Federal Trade Commission’s ability to protect consumers from fraudulent direct selling business opportunities. Disregarding vocal opposition from consumer and Latino advocacy groupspyramid scheme expertsFTC Commissioner Terrell McSweenyformer senior FTC officials, and members of the direct selling industry itself, the House has voted to enable pyramidal business practices that the FTC and the courts have consistently found to be illegal.

“This amendment, inserted into must-pass legislation in the dead of night at the behest of some the nation’s largest direct selling companies, will make millions of consumers more vulnerable to pyramid schemes,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “It is incredibly important that the Senate recognizes the true, destructive nature of this amendment, ensures that such language does not make it into its appropriations bill, and works to delete it from any conference report that receives consideration.”

The Moolenaar amendment language, through definitional trickery and numerous carve-outs, weakens the core precedents that the FTC has relied on for decades to shut down fraudulent business opportunities and discipline an industry with a long history of pyramid scheme behavior.

The federal courts have consistently stated that the critical difference between a legitimate direct selling business and a pyramid scheme is that the revenue must come primarily from the sale of products and services to retail customers unaffiliated with the business opportunity. Unfortunately, the Moolenaar amendment will undermine this critical tenet prevent the FTC from prosecuting all but the most blatantly fraudulent pyramid schemes.

“Today’s vote is disappointing, but is not the end of the fight,” said John Breyault, NCL vice President, public policy, telecommunications, and fraud. “We will continue to expose the direct selling industry’s campaign to sneak this destructive bill through Congress and work with consumer champions in the Senate to protect consumers from fraudulent pyramid schemes.”

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About the National Consumers League

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 back! Launching 2017-2018 season of education and scholarship program

September 11, 2017

National student financial literacy competition opens 2017-18 season

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

Washington, DC–Today marks the official launch of the 24th season of LifeSmarts, with a new competition going live at the online home of the program, LifeSmarts.org. LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League (NCL), is a national scholarship competition and educational program for middle-school and high-school students that tests knowledge of real-life consumer issues and aims to create a future generation of consumer-savvy adults.

“We are very excited to launch our 24th season of LifeSmarts,” said national Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “LifeSmarts gives students the skills they need to succeed as adults. We see students gain knowledge, confidence, leadership capabilities, and team-building skills. The competition is a lot of fun, and the impact of LifeSmarts is lifelong.”

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 2018 National LifeSmarts Championship will take place April 21-24 in San Diego. Winning team members receive scholarships and other prizes.

Last year, students answered more than 3.5 million consumer questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between. By being consumer savvy and quick on the buzzers, the LifeSmarts team from Dallas High School in Dallas, PA, took home top honors at the 23rd national event in Pittsburgh, PA. Dallas High was a returning champion, taking home the national title two years in a row.

In addition to state and national competitions, LifeSmarts recognition and awards occur throughout the program year:

  • Teams of students vie for cash prizes in the online TeamSmarts quiz, which focuses on a specific LifeSmarts content area each month from September through January.

  • Five $1,000 scholarships are awarded each winter to winning LifeSmarts students who become Safety Smart Ambassadors, using LifeSmarts content to present safety messages to younger children in their communities.

  • New in 2017: the Sarah Weinberg Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a single student who demonstrates extraordinary community service work.

  • Partnering with FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America), LifeSmarts offers special competitive events for student members of both student leadership organizations. FBLA and FCCLA team members have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes, trophies, and other honors.

LifeSmarts is active in all states and the District of Columbia, where NCL is headquartered. During the 2016-17 program year, when a team from Kodiak, AK, signed up, LifeSmarts reached its 50th state.

“We are excited to continue to grow the LifeSmarts program into new states and regions, to continue to educate students about financial literacy, and to create a new generation of savvy, market-ready consumers and workers,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of NCL. “Too often traditional high school curriculum fails to teach students vital information that will be crucial once students go to college, get their first job, or move out of their parents’ house.”

In addition to hosting the official LifeSmarts competition, LifeSmarts.org provides resources for teachers to supplement existing lesson plans. These include daily quizzes, educational videos, social media competitions, focused study guides, and scholarship opportunities. LifeSmarts lessons closely align with courses taught in family and consumer sciences, business, technology, health, and vocational education. Math and English teachers have also had success with LifeSmarts, as have homeschool and community educators.

Major LifeSmarts contributors include: McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, LifeLock, Underwriters Laboratories, Western Union, Comcast NBC Universal, Experian, Intuit, American Express Company, and others.

Visit LifeSmarts.org for more information.

LifeSmarts: Learn it. Live it.

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About LifeSmarts

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: 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.

Advocates’ joint letter on autonomous vehicle legislation being considered by the House – National Consumers League

September 5, 2017

Dear Member of the House of Representatives, 

On behalf of our consumer, public health and safety organizations, we would like to provide our views of H.R. 3388, the Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research In Vehicle Evolution Act (SELF DRIVE Act). This legislation addresses the future development and deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and will be considered by the House of Representatives tomorrow. 

Unfortunately, this legislation takes an unnecessary and unacceptable hands-off approach to hands-free driving. A recent study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed deep public skepticism about AVs. Only 13 percent of those polled reported that they would be comfortable with vehicle “features that completely relieve the driver of all control for the entire drive.” Similarly, a Kelly Blue Book survey, released in September 2016, found that nearly 80 percent of respondents believed that people should always have the option to drive themselves, and nearly one in three said they would never buy a level 5 AV. 

Any defect or setback involving AVs will severely curtail public acceptance of this technology and risk the progress and promise AVs hold to significantly reduce motor vehicle crashes, fatalities and injuries. For these reasons, the following issues must be adequately addressed to ensure public safety, security and confidence. 

Excessive Numbers of Exempted Vehicles are Permitted and will Jeopardize Safety: Expanding statutory exemptions from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for AVs is both unwarranted and unwise. As currently drafted, the bill would allow for potentially millions of vehicles on America’s roads that have been exempted from critical FMVSS including those that apply to occupant protection and crashworthiness. Only 18 months ago, Congress increased allowable exemptions for manufacturers in the FAST Act (Pub. L. 114-94), and this is sufficient for the development and deployment of AVs. 

Exemptions from Crashworthiness Standards Should be Prohibited: Any provision allowing for exemptions from crashworthiness standards, no matter the qualification or time line, is an egregious and unacceptable attack on safety. Autonomous vehicles will be sharing the roads with traditional vehicles for many years to come and will undoubtedly be involved in crashes. Exposing motorists to the dangers of crashes without proven and needed protections is a wanton disregard for public health and safety. 

Essential Data and Public Information About AVs are Needed: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should be required to establish and maintain a current public database for all AVs that contains essential data including but not limited to Safety Assessment Letters, information on the level of automation of each vehicle, exemptions from FMVSS that it is operating under, and the operational design domain with which the AV is equipped. The data collected in the database shall be appended to crash databases maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Such a database will allow for independent evaluation and research on the real-world performance of AVs. Furthermore, all non-proprietary communications and responses between the agency and a manufacturer as it relates to any issues involving AVs must be made available for contemporaneous public review, scholarly research and safety analysis by independent stakeholders. 

Finally, Congress must ensure that consumers are given essential information about an AV. Under the current version of this bill, it will be years before NHTSA even completes research before beginning the process to issue a consumer information rule. Every manufacturer should be required to provide every consumer for every vehicle sold information about its capabilities, limitations and exemptions from federal safety standards. This information should not be withheld from consumers until NHTSA completes research and finally issues a rule. 

Sufficient Funding for NHTSA is Critical: The agency must be given additional funding and staff resources in order to meet the demands being placed on the agency with regard to the advent of AV technology. We recommend the establishment of an office of AV technology within NHTSA with an adequate budget to implement the requirements of this legislation, to assist in the safe introduction of AV technology into the marketplace, and to ensure oversight and accountability. 

NHTSA Needs Additional Enforcement Powers: NHTSA should be given the additional tools of imminent hazard authority to protect against potentially catastrophic defects with AVs and criminal penalties to ensure manufacturers do not willfully and knowingly put defective AVs into the marketplace. 

State Preemption is Too Broad: We share the concerns expressed by associations representing Governors, state legislators and other state officials about the broad and unacceptable preemption language in H.R. 3388. While we support the statutory mission of NHTSA to regulate the design and performance of motor vehicles to ensure public safety, unless and until NHTSA issues comprehensive standards and regulations to govern AVs, states have every legal right, indeed a duty to their citizens, to fill the regulatory vacuum with state developed proposals and solutions for ensuring public safety. States must not be precluded from fulfilling their role to protect their citizens. 

It is critically important that life-saving technologies be advanced in a safe and expeditious manner. We believe that AVs will not only change our lifestyles but may, once and for all, change our ability to achieve meaningful and lasting reductions in the death and injury toll on our streets and highways. However, realizing these goals can only be achieved if Congress enacts legislation that ensures that AVs are developed and deployed in a safe, sensible and transparent manner. 

Sincerely, 

Jacqueline Gillan, President
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Joan Claybrook, Chair 
Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways and 
Former Administrator, NHTSA 

Jason Levine, Executive Director 
Center for Auto Safety

Jack Gillis, Director of Public Affairs 
Consumer Federation of America 

Sally Greenberg, Executive Director 
National Consumers League

Andrew McGuire, Executive Director 
Trauma Foundation 

John Lannen, Executive Director 
Truck Safety Coalition 

NCL leads charge for table saw safety at agency hearing – National Consumers League

August 10, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—National Consumers League (NCL) joined 22-year-old table saw injury victim, Josh Ward, from Sisters, OR, who severed four fingers on a table saw at age 17 in shop class, and other witnesses at a hearing of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) this Wednesday. The Commission is considering a safety standard for all table saws sold in the United States using currently available technology. In 2015, table saws accounted for more than 4,000 amputations – 11 a day – and 33,400 emergency room visits. This new standard will eliminate virtually all table saw injuries.

“Table saws have a demonstrated pattern of injury affecting thousands of victims and costing society billions of dollars every year,” said NCL in comments filed with the CPSC.

“We can end table saw injuries forever using affordable, available technology so why wouldn’t we do that?” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of NCL, who offered testimony before the Commission. “Why should Josh Ward – at the age of 17 – have had to suffer life-altering injuries, lifelong pain and risk of infection, and have his dreams of becoming a firefighter destroyed when we could have completely prevented his injury?”

Greenberg noted that today’s technology, which protects users through a sensor that can distinguish between wood and a finger, prevents the blade from inflicting serious injury. Makers of the SawStop saw, which includes this safety technology, have recorded over 5,000 “finger saves,” cases of people who would have sustained serious injury but did not because they were using a safe saw design. NCL wants all table saw users to have the benefit of this same safety technology.

“Accidents like mine can happen to anyone. You can’t put a value on what it’s like to lose your hand; the Commission needs to finalize its safety standard so nobody else need suffer a life-altering injury as I have done, all because their hand slipped for a fraction of a second while operating a table saw,” said Ward in emotional testimony before the panel.

The hearing took place before the five members of the CPSC on August 9. The Commission is considering this mandatory safety standard for table saws. SawStop’s inventor, Dr. Steven Gass, also testified. Industry witnesses all opposed the CPSC’s proposal, citing cost and other issues.

Read NCL’s testimony here.

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About the National Consumers League

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.

NCL urges federal government to fund CSR benefits to make marketplace coverage more affordable

August 2, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) urges the Federal government to fund cost-sharing reduction (CSR) benefits, which make coverage more affordable for low- and moderate-income Americans who buy their own coverage.

Unfortunately, President Trump continues to threaten to stop the CSR payments in a misguided attempt to resurrect Congressional efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In response, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus of more than 40 Members of Congress released a proposal on Monday that would ensure mandatory funding of the CSRs. NCL applauds this proposal and urges Congress to move swiftly to approve these appropriations.

The following quote may be attributed to Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director:

“Funding CSR benefits is not an insurer `bailout,’ as President Trump has claimed. Health plans pass these dollars through to consumers, so that they can afford to see their doctors and get their prescriptions. This funding helps to lower deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for more than 6 million low- and moderate-income Americans. Without certainty that these payments will be made, however, health plans are likely to raise premiums or choose to leave the Marketplace entirely – leaving people with few, if any, choices. It is time to shore up, not undermine, the Marketplace, and ensure the market stability that both health plans and consumers desperately need.”   

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About the National Consumers League

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.

NCL statement in support of the Food Recovery Act – National Consumers League

July 31, 2017

Washington, DC– The National Consumers League (NCL) is pleased to support the reintroduction of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s (D-ME) bill, the Food Recovery Act, which aims to make food waste prevention and reduction more cost effective and efficient.

Since September 2015, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a national commitment to cut U.S. food waste in half by year 2030, we have seen groups across the food supply chain mobilize and create innovative solutions for sustained waste reduction. Yet, further progress could be achieved by streamlining our current food production and recovery system.

The reintroduction of the Food Recovery Act is a reminder to Congress that the impacts of food waste remain relevant. A study from as recent as 2015 shows that we throw out approximately 62.5 million tons of food each year. This waste is creating a financial and environmental burden that can be alleviated with help from Congress. The Food Recovery Act covers four major stakeholder groups: farms, retail and restaurants, schools and institutions, and consumers and local infrastructure. Policy initiatives that address food waste from farm to table allow for synchronized reform that can better guide organizations and individuals in their current reduction efforts.

Solutions such as standardizing date labeling language and creating protections for direct food donation can keep nutritious food out of landfills and drastically diminish the number of over 42 million Americans who are food insecure.  The bill also calls for more consumer education around food waste reduction and recovery. Consumer action has the potential to hold the most economic value, estimating a $4,531/ton financial benefit. 

The National Consumers League is proud to be working alongside other non-profit and government groups committed to reaching the 2030 goal.  Food waste reduction is a nonpartisan issue. At a pivotal time in our country, we urge Congress to pass the Food Recovery Act and move toward a more productive and sustainable food system that benefits all Americans. 

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About the National Consumers League

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.

 

Consumer groups support CPSC vote on table saw safety – National Consumers League

July 31, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–Five national consumer groups are supporting a safety standard for all table saws. In joint comments sent to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) last week, the National Consumers League (NCL), the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Public Citizen, and US PIRG are supporting the CPSC’s vote in favor of adopting a safety standard. The standard, known as Active Injury Mitigation (AIM), would all but eliminate the 33,400 emergency room visits and 4,000+ amputations that table saws cause annually in the United States each year. The AIM technology is a performance standard, allowing industry to use any technology that prevents serious injuries. 

“This is precisely why the Consumer Product Safety Commission was established in 1972: to mitigate injuries in the market place when there is a pattern of injury and an affordable, viable technology to address those injuries,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Table saw blades are associated with over 30,000 emergency department-treated injuries annually and an average of 11 amputations a day, resulting in excruciating pain, expensive medical costs, and lifelong disabilities to victims. The CPSC began formally investigating table saw safety since 2006. In the interim, numerous detailed studies conducted by CPSC staff and others have confirmed that the adoption of a performance requirement makes sense both for consumer safety and for the economic benefits it would bring to society at large.”

NCL also filed its own comments available here.

See factsheet about table saw vote.

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About the National Consumers League

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.

National Consumers League calls for passage of bill requiring helmet protections for youth – National Consumers League

July 28, 2017

Following report on long-term effects of football head injuries, consumer org calls on Congress to act

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–This week’s release of groundbreaking research examining the link between the repeated blows to the head endured by professional football players and the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.) highlights the urgent need for Congress to take action to address this important consumer safety issue.

The National Consumers League (NCL) has long supported public policies that would improve the safety of sports equipment, particularly as it related to concussion prevention. For example, in March 2011 it was one of the first consumer groups to support the Child Sports Athletic Equipment Safety Act, landmark legislation that would have required makers of football helmets to develop a voluntary safety standard for helmets that address concussion risk and the needs of youth players. Today, NCL supports legislation such as the Youth Sports Concussion Act, introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), that would crack down on deceptive advertising in the athletic sporting equipment market.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director:

“ As the JAMA research again underscores, repeated blows to the head can have devastating long-term health consequences. Reducing the risk to athletes, particularly youth, from sports-related concussions is a fixable problem that can and should be addressed through common-sense product safety standards. NCL has long supported legislation that would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other consumer protection agencies to develop regulations that lead to safer helmets.”

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About the National Consumers League

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.

NCL statement on Senate rejection of straight repeal of the Affordable Care Act – National Consumers League

July 26, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League applauds the Senate’s rejection of both the Better Care Reconciliation Act as well as a straight repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. Both bills would have caused irreparable harm by stripping health coverage away from millions of Americans.

However, NCL notes that the debate is not over yet, and urges the Senate to reject the latest proposal that would repeal the ACA’s individual and employer mandates and the medical device tax. This would destabilize the individual market and lead to increased healthcare costs for consumers.

NCL calls on Senate Republicans to work together with the Democrats to improve – not dismantle — the Affordable Care Act, in order to ensure access to quality, affordable healthcare for all.

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About the National Consumers League

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 honors FCCLA student leaders in Nashville – National Consumers League

July 18, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Campus High School students from Wichita, KS, recognized with top honors in LifeSmarts competition at FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Nashville

Washington, DC—Earlier this month, students from Campus High School, in Wichita, KS, competing at the 2017 Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference (NLC) took home top honors for winning first place in an FCCLA LifeSmarts competitive event held during the conference, July 2 – 6, in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 8,000 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, fashion design, and early childhood development to focus on family and consumer sciences-specific content within the competition.

In Nashville, the top 14 FCCLA LifeSmarts teams competed over the course of two days. On Monday, July 3, teams competed in pool play, competing three times for cumulative points. The top eight teams advanced to a knockout bracket, which determined the final match-up between Campus High School and the team from Brookings High School, Brookings, South Dakota. On Wednesday, July 5, the two finalist teams competed head-to-head in front of thousands of spectators to kick off the FCCLA Recognition Session held during the NLC. 

Students attended the FCCLA conference to expand their networks, enhance leadership skills, attend workshops, and compete in FCCLA STAR events, including the FCCLA/LifeSmarts Knowledge Bowl.

LifeSmarts honors in Nashville

Students from Campus High School in Wichita, KS, coached by Renae Spangler, took home first place in the LifeSmarts competition. The team is made up of students Hope Wilson, Nick Redfield, Heather Robey, Karina Villa, and Kasen Williams.

Other winners included:

  • Brookings High School from Brookings, SD, coached by Joline Dunbar (2nd place)
  • West St. Francois High School from Park Hills, MO, coached by Tiffany Miller (3rd 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 NCL, 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. 

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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: LifeSmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org.

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 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.