LifeSmarts Club Empowers Students Through Practical Trivia

LifeSmarts, a trivia club that has been present at Walls for around three years is getting a revamp. Now led by Ishaan Pabla, an SWW alumnus who graduated in 2024, the club aims to help students become better educated consumers while offering rewards and benefits along the way.  The trivia includes a variety of question types with different time limits for who can answer and when. 

LifeSmarts was created to teach students how to be savvy consumers in a fun and engaging way. Free for middle schools and high schools across the country, as well as internationally, LifeSmarts is part of the National Consumers League, an advocacy organization dedicated to educating consumers, advocating for their interests, and building alliances to ensure their voices are heard. Students focus on five key areas of research and questioning: Consumer rights and responsibilities, the environment, health and safety, personal finance, and technology. According to the LifeSmarts homepage, “The goal of LifeSmarts is to create consumer-savvy young people who will be well-equipped for adult life in today’s complex, global marketplace.” The program encourages students to learn enthusiastically about these topics by offering competitions with rewards.

Students meet on Wednesdays after school to learn and practice until 4:45 PM in room 224. Coaches receive free resources from LifeSmarts, which include quizzes, videos, retired competition questions, vocabulary lists, group activities, and questions of the day. Students use these resources to coach themselves. Members practice and learn facts about the five key areas, then participate in online trivia competitions. High-scoring students may have the opportunity to travel and participate in larger-scale trivia events.

Ana Martinez, a Spanish teacher at School Without Walls and the current sponsor of LifeSmarts (having recently taken over from Kristen Kelly), believes the program offers great value to students. She explained, “All the questions asked are really interesting because students will use this information in their lives. They’re not questions that don’t mean anything. They’re all practical, like, ‘After how many miles should you change your oil in a car?’”

Members begin with online trivia competitions and move on to district or state levels. Winning teams advance to the LifeSmarts Championships. This is where it gets interesting: the organization pairs teams with other schools, creating "brother" or "sister" teams. Martinez explained, “You stick with them just for the competition and do some challenges together, but then you compete on your own with your own team.” The program offers a unique chance to forge lasting friendships.

Beyond the practical benefits, LifeSmarts provides students with valuable awards and opportunities. At these competitions, sponsoring companies and organizations often offer scholarships, internships, and job opportunities.

Cecile Nouga-Ngog (‘28) further highlighted the potential benefits of Lifesmarts. She explained, “I’m interested in LifeSmarts because I think trivia is super fun, and Ms. Martinez is really nice. I feel like trivia is so applicable to everyone’s life. I think it’ll be really fun, and I’m excited to join.”

LifeSmarts club is seeking new members. Interested students can seek more information from Ms. Martinez.