Frequently Asked Questions About the LifeSkills Contest for Junior High 4-H Members
1.	Who is eligible to participate in 4-H LifeSkills competition? According to the guidelines in the Tennessee 4-H Recognition Handbook, students in grades 6 or 7 as of January 1 of the current year would be eligible to participate in LifeSkills contests this summer. However, this is only a guideline. Since the participants go no further in competition, regions may choose to involve younger or older 4-H members in the contests. 
2.	What makes up a team for LifeSkills competition? A team is composed of a minimum of three (3) members and a maximum of four (4) members. 
3.	How many teams can a county bring to the contest? The number of teams that can be brought is only limited by the facilities and time available for the contest. This may vary in each region and will be determined by the regional staff. Counties may choose to train together all of the 4-Hers involved in LifeSkills, and place them into teams immediately before the contest. That will avoid the problems caused when individuals don’t show up on the day of the contest, making their teammates ineligible for team awards. 
4.	How many centers will be used in the contest? There will be four (4) centers. Three of the centers will be individual centers and one a team center. Topics and resources for preparing for LifeSkills competition will be posted to the FCS Web site in early July.  
5.	Who will provide the centers? State FCS subject matter specialists will create the centers and provide all of the items needed to set up the centers. A representative of the state FCS specialist team will also attend each contest.  
6.	What will be the format of the contest? Centers will be set up in one large room or several small rooms (or areas). Participants will be given a card that will list each of the centers and have a place for the center facilitator to initial or check when the 4-H’er or team has completed that center. This will allow 4-H’ers to be sure they have completed all centers before leaving the competition. Approximately one-quarter of the teams will be sent to the team center to complete that activity first and the remaining contestants will go to the individual centers. When teams or individuals have completed the initial activities, they will rotate to complete the other portion of the competition. Teams must compete in the team activity as a complete group.
7.	How will centers be scored? Each center will have a card or sheet that individuals or teams must complete and turn in to the center facilitator. A scoring key will be provided by the specialist designing the center, and the facilitator or a scorer for the center will score each of the sheets turned in. The team registration form will include places to record team and individual scores for each of the centers. Each center will be scored on a 50 point scale. The specialist representative will designate a way to break tied scores.
8.	What awards will be given? Regions will determine the awards to be presented. Awards may be given for the overall high team and for the overall high individual. Additionally, high individuals or high teams at each of the centers may be recognized.
9.	How will centers be monitored? Each center should have a facilitator. Depending on the subject matter, this may be an FCS agent, volunteer leader, or teen leader. Facilitators will check the student cards when they have completed the center and will oversee the competition at the center including answering questions and keeping the contest honest. If there are enough personnel, each center should have a scorer, but if there are not enough leaders available, the center facilitator will need to score the participant cards as well. If score keepers are available, they will check the answer sheets and can tabulate scores during the competition. If they have questions concerning accuracy of responses, they can check with the center facilitator. The scorekeeper may be a volunteer leader or teen leader. Additional helpers include persons to help guide members to the appropriate stations, keep crowd noise down, and serve as runners for the centers. These may be teen or adult leaders. 
10.	Where can we get more information about what participants should study to prepare for the contest? Go to the FCS Web site at http://fcs.tennessee.edu/lifeskills. This will list the subject matter and references for each center.  
11.	When will the contests be held? Dates will be determined by each region and the specialist coordinating the contest statewide.