DP News

Members of the Dallas High School LifeSmarts team placed 10th out of 32 teams in the 16th Annual LifeSmarts National Championship held April 24-27 in Miami Beach, Fla.

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Several members of the Dallas High School LifeSmarts team placed 10th out of 32 teams in the 16th Annual LifeSmarts National Championship held from April 24-27 in Miami Beach, Fla. From left, are Pierce Donovan, Kevin West, coach; Katelyn Reinert, team captain; Tim Reinert, Monica Esopi and Kevin Hunter.

CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE DALLAS POST

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LifeSmarts is a consumer challenge competition for high school students across the nation. Nine Pennsylvania high schools competed for the state title.

The National Consumer League, in partnership with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and educational organizations, makes the competition available to teens in every state. The Attorney General’s Office plans and implements the program for Pennsylvania.

Dallas advanced to the national competition after winning the LifeSmarts Consumer Challenge Pennsylvania state competition on March 2 in Harrisburg.

The Maryland state champion team was the winner of the national championship and North Dakota captured second-place.

This year, championship officials introduced a new competition to determine the national champion in each of the subject areas - technology, health and safety, the environment, personal finance, and consumer rights and responsibilities – that LifeSmarts encompasses.

Pierce Donovan, a member of the team, was awarded an individual honor for placing first in the nation in the technology category of the 2010 topic assessments. He won a $500 scholarship from the National Consumer League for this honor.

Members of the Dallas High School LifeSmarts team who competed in the 2010 national and state competitions are Katelyn Reinert, team captain; Kevin Hunter, Donovan, Tim Reinert and Monica Esopi.

The school’s LifeSmarts team is coached by Kevin West, who has served as the team’s coach since 2005. Lois Redmond is the co-coach.

Catherine Wega, a retired teacher who is now a member of the Dallas School Board, coached the team to the national championship in 2003.