New York Credit Union Foundation - News Release - Irondequoit H.S. Students Again Capture Title at Statewide LifeSmarts Competition Coordinated by NY CU Foundation

　Irondequoit H.S. Students Again Capture Title at Statewide LifeSmarts Competition Coordinated by NY CU Foundation

(March 21 - Albany, NY) – For the second year in a row, a new team of high school students from Irondequoit High School in Rochester, NY, captured the 2008 New York State LifeSmarts title when they bested 12 teams that converged in Albany Tuesday from around the state to compete in the statewide finals.

Coordinated in New York State by the New York Credit Union Foundation, LifeSmarts… the Ultimate Consumer Challenge is a fun and rewarding educational opportunity that expands the consumer and marketplace knowledge and skills of high school students in an effort to better prepare them as responsible consumers in today’s economy.

The top 12 high school teams in the state were invited to compete in the head-to-head, double elimination competition for the New York State title after completion of a multi-level online testing program. The final competition took place March 18 at the New York State Museum in Albany, NY. Students were quizzed on real-life, consumer-oriented issues in five key areas: personal finance, health and safety, environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities.

Proving their consumer know-how at the 2008 New York State LifeSmarts championship were Irondequoit teammates Renee Roth (team captain), Tyler Condello, Samantha Jebbert, Jesse Leonardo and Steve Ross. The team’s coach, teacher Lou DiCesare, cheered his team on throughout the daylong competition.

The Irondequoit team will travel to Minneapolis, MN, next month to vie for the National LifeSmarts title. The Foundation covers the costs of the transportation and lodging for the students and coaches. At the New York State LifeSmarts award ceremony, NYCUF presented the team with a $500 check to help with additional expenses.

As part of the first place prize package, Irondequoit High School received a complimentary license for an eCommEd curriculum for the next school year from Genium Group Inc., a Champion/Master level competition sponsor along with Bethpage FCU, brass|MEDIA Inc. and the New York State Museum. An additional 28 credit unions were also event sponsors.

Fairport High School placed second in the competition, Cairo-Durham High School finished third.　

Credit unions that assisted teams with transportation to Albany and other state competition expenses included: Bethpage FCU; Columbia-Greene FCU; First Source FCU; the League’s Adirondack, Buffalo, Long Island, Metropolitan and Rochester chapters; Pittsford FCU, School Systems FCU, Teachers FCU, The Summit FCU and UFirst FCU.

Stopping by to meet, greet, present citations, congratulate and take pictures with teams from their districts during the competition were the following legislators and/or their staff members: Assemblyman Ronald Canestrari (Adirondack/Capital), Assemblywoman Janet Duprey (R-Adirondack), Assemblyman Joseph Errigo (Rochester), Senator John Flanagan (R-Long Island), Senator Joseph Griffo (R-Utica-Rome), Assemblyman David Koon (D-Rochester), Senator George Maziarz (R-Niagara/Rochester), Senator James Seward (R-Capital/Southern Tier), Senator Caesar Trunzo (R-Long Island), Assemblyman Stephen Hawley (R-Rochester), and Assemblyman Peter Lopez (R-Capital/Catskill-Hudson).

LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League, is open to youth, grades 9-12, from any school, group or organization in the state.

The New York Credit Union Foundation serves those who help improve the financial literacy and independence of New Yorkers. For more information about the LifeSmarts or the Foundation, visit www.nycuf.org.


(l-r) Foundation Executive Director Diane LaVigna-Wixted; Jesse Leonardo; Samantha tt; Steve Ross; Tyler Condello; Renee Roth (team captain); Dirck Van Deusen, SVP, Corporate Relations, Members United Corporate FCU; and Louis DiCesare (team coach).	Assemblyman Ronald Canestrari (D-Capital, 2^nd from left) was one of a number of legislators who stopped by the competition to wish their local team good luck. Here Canestrari presents Columbia High School’s LifeSmarts team and fellow student supporters with a citation recognizing the hard work and dedication the team put forth to make it to the statewide finals.

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