Co-ops sponsor program that teaches life lessons
Preparing for the fast-paced world beyond high school |
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(l-r) Director of Consumer Protection Parrell Grossman, N.D. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and LifeSmarts Coordinator Joan Mork work together to host LifeSmarts, which is a consumer education program. In the February center pages dedicated to Capital Electric news, find out how students learn about important issues such as savings accounts, property taxes, job interviews and voting requirements—and how they compete to show their life smarts. |
can be a challenge for many teenagers. In high school, students learn the Pythagorean Theorem in geometry, read the tragedy of Macbeth in English and study HTML programming to format Web pages.
But where do they learn about savings accounts, property taxes, job interviews and voting requirements?
“Once students graduate, they will be faced with unlimited risks and opportunities,” says Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. “Whether they choose to go on to college or find a job in the workplace, they need the tools to make practical decisions.”
To help students make better day-to-day choices, the Attorney General’s office hosts a program called LifeSmarts. Developed by the National Consumers League, LifeSmarts is a unique competition where teams of students answer thousands of different questions about personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights and responsibilities, the environment and technology.
Joan Mork, investigator for the Attorney General’s office and state LifeSmarts coordinator, says students practice taking online quizzes. To qualify for the state competition, students in grades 9-12 take a series of three online tests. The tests are computed electronically, teachers are notified and the final teams are formed. The top 12 teams, consisting of five students each, will participate in the state’s annual competition. This year, the LifeSmarts challenge is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 7 at the Heritage Center in Bismarck.
Parrell Grossman, director of the consumer protection division, serves as questionmaster for the state competition. Rather than lecturing students in the classroom about consumer issues, Grossman says the LifeSmarts program provides a fun and interactive learning experience for the students.
“Any time you can mix fun and learning, you have a successful formula that’s going to work with high school students,” he says.
He says some of the questions can be rather difficult—even for him.
“Each year I learn something new, both from the competition and the students,” he says.
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Nancy Kummer (gold sweater), teacher at Kindred High School and LifeSmarts leader, coached a team of students who won the 2006 state LifeSmarts competition. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem presents a plaque to (left to right) Eric Hall, Ace Boisjolie, Kyle Bartram, Kari Sumption, Nancy Kummer and Jared Breen. |
“Students need to learn how to raise and spend their money. It’s all part of LifeSmarts,” she says. “It becomes more of a valuable experience when they have to raise money themselves.”
To pay for the state competition, the Attorney General’s office seeks donations from sponsors. Because the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of North Dakota believe in doing business with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community, they joined forces to provide some necessary funding. Capital Electric, Bismarck, Mor-Gran-Sou Electric, Flasher, and the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Mandan, donated money for program costs and student travel expenses. Other major LifeSmarts sponsors include Gate City Bank and Microsoft.
“Without our sponsors’ donations, we couldn’t have the competition,” says Mork.
Josh Schaffner, member services assistant for Capital Electric, says the co-op always looks for ways to show its commitment to member-owners, even to those across the state.
“Many of the students who compete are dependents of electric cooperative consumers. We believe the more education these students take in now, the more power they’ll have to make smart decisions after school,” he says. “Capital Electric has sponsored the LifeSmarts program for several years now, and our commitment remains strong for the future.”
For more information on the LifeSmarts program, e-mail Joan Mork at jmork@nd.gov or call (800) 472-2600.