The Kansas Council on Economic Education will hold the state finals of its LifeSmarts competition for high school students Sunday, March 9, and Monday, March 10, at the Hyatt Regency Wichita.

The opening rounds of the competition will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sunday and end around 9 p.m. The competition will begin again at 8 a.m. Monday and end around noon. The general public is invited to observe.

KCEE, which coordinates LifeSmarts in Kansas, is a nonprofit organization based at the W. Frank School of Business at Wichita State University and is affiliated with all of the six state universities. The LifeSmarts program in Kansas is provided with financial sponsorship from the Division of Consumer and Mortgage Lending of the Office of the State Bank Commissioner and American Century Investments.

LifeSmarts is offered nationally by the National Consumers League as an educational program to develop consumer and marketplace skills in teenagers. The program tests their knowledge in personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities.

The state championship has 12 teams that advanced to the finals through their performance at the regional competitions that were held last month in Wichita, Hays and Topeka.

The state finalists are from The Learning Center from USD 489 in Hays; Thomas More Prep-Marian in Hays; Sublette High School; Salina South High School (two teams); Topeka West High School; Marion High School; Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire; Sterling High School; Remington High School; Fairfield High School; and Haven High School.

The state champion will advance to the national championship being held in Minneapolis in April.