ÊMike Yoder /Journal-World Photo.Free State High school juniors at center from left, Kayla Clark, Valisity Clark and her cousin Taylor Clark, participate in a identity theft workshop at KU. Several workshops on consumer protection were offered as part of a Knowledge

Teaching high school students how to be cautious consumers may seem premature.

However, with unprecedented Internet exposure and the Federal Trade Commission estimating that there are about 9 million identity thefts a year, it could be exactly what they need.

About 250 high school students gathered Tuesday in the Kansas Union for the state’s first Knowledge is Power summit.

Attorney General Steve Six opened the event, warning the teens to be observant and never give out their personal information over the Internet.

“We work every day at the attorney general’s office on people that have already been a victim of a scam,” Six said. “We’re trying to teach high school kids how to prevent that.”

After opening remarks, the students followed schedules to different seminars on identity theft, financial literacy and how to stay out of debt.

For one Free State High School senior, picking priorities may be difficult.

“Being a girl, you want to go out and shop more,” said Nakai Marr, 17. “With college expenses and car payments, it just kind of taught you more about what you should spend your money on.”

National Consumer Protection Week runs through Friday.