Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS
KA ʻOIHANA PILI KĀLEPA

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KIAʻĀINA

NADINE ANDO
DIRECTOR
LUNA HOʻOKELE

 TY Y. NOHARA
COMMISSIONER OF SECURITIES

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 2, 2024

 KALANI HIGH SCHOOL WINS 2024 HAWAIʻI LIFESMARTS STATE COMPETITION

 HONOLULU – Team Kalani 4.2 from Kalani High School has won the 2024 Hawaiʻi LifeSmarts State Competition, organized by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Business Registration and Insurance Divisions and the Hawaiʻi Credit Union League (HCUL). The competition took place today at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom.

The competition tests students on their knowledge of personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. Following the preliminary online portion of the competition, top scoring teams from Kalani, Maryknoll and Waipahu High Schools were invited to compete in today’s in-person competition, where they tested their skills through an assessment test, “speed smarts” activity, and gameshow-style buzzer rounds.

As the 2024 state champions, the Kalani 4.2 team will go on to represent Hawaiʻi at the National LifeSmarts Competition in San Diego, California from April 18 – 21, 2024. Members of the team are: Brandon Tran (team captain), Andy Chen, Jiaorong (Michelle) He, Kyla Iglesia, and Mason Vuong. The team was coached by Mike Zane.

“As we celebrate 20 years of sponsoring the LifeSmarts Program in Hawaiʻi, we are so proud of all the students who dedicate their time and effort in participating in this program, and we congratulate Kalani High School as it advances to the National Competition,” said DCCA Director Nadine Ando. “Mahalo to our staff, volunteers, and community partners for their generous contributions toward making this a successful program that helps our local students prepare for the ‘real world.’”

2024 Hawaiʻi State Competition community supporters include:

• Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union
• Better Business Bureau
• Big Island Federal Credit Union
• Cisco
• Coastal Construction Co., Inc.
• Department of the Attorney General, Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, Community and Crime Prevention Branch
• Farmers Hawaiʻi
• Hawaiʻi Community Federal Credit Union
• Hawaiʻi Credit Union League
• Hawaiʻi Dental Service
• Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association (HGEA)
• Hawaiʻi Information Service
• Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union
• HMSA
• HMSA Employees Federal Credit Union
• Honolulu Fire Department Federal Credit Union
• Island Energy Services (Texaco)
• Kaiser Permanente
• Outrigger Hotels
• Pearl Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union
• Schofield Federal Credit Union
• University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business, Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE)

Visit www.LifeSmartsHawaii.com for more information.

LifeSmarts is a national consumer education program that prepares students to enter the real world as smart consumers, by teaching them the skills needed to succeed in today’s global marketplace. The program is run by the National Consumers League and sponsored locally by the DCCA Business Registration and Insurance Divisions, in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Credit Union League.

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Additional Photos and B-Roll available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZYLPVK_ArlUb6P070zQ93nWxTMczQiV8?usp=drive_link

 

Media Contact:
William Nhieu
Communications Officer
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 808-586-7582