future problem solving australia

AFFILIATE DIRECTOR

Suzanne Digby [email protected]

AFFILIATE WEBSITE

www.fpsp.org.au

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At a Glance

World finals​.

Each year our International Conference, and highest level competition, brings together over 2,000 champion problem solvers and supporters from around the world.

Where: Indiana University

Participants will gather on the campus of Indiana University Bloomington in 2025.

When: June 4-8, 2025

The event connects a diverse group of passionate, dedicated, and successful students, coaches, staff, evaluators, parents, volunteers, alumni, and supporters.

Who: Affiliate Champions

We invite all regional affiliate champions to attend our in-person International Conference and compete alongside their peers.

What: Problem Topic TBD

Problem solvers addressed Air Quality in 2024. We will announce this year's International Conference topic area March 1.

How: Tips and Resources

Visit our Resource Library for competition details, registration information, the schedule, FAQs, and more.

Global Network

A lifetime moment.

7% of Students Qualify

2,000+ participants, 14+ countries, 34+ u.s. states, special events, magic and fps experience opportunities.

Past Winners

Student showcase.

Antibiotic Resistance Action Plan

Global Issues 2022 Middle Team Champion Caroline, Sijia, Siqi, and Xin (Singapore)

Online Crimes Against Children

Community Project 2023 Beyonder Award Winner Fatuma and Shyla (Minnesota)

Gamification - Easy Money

Creative Writing 2020 Senior Champion Kaitlyn (Illinois)

Thank You to our 2024 Sponsors

Future Problem Solving Students – A Five Year Study

A comparison of reading and mathematics performance between students participating in a future problem solving program and nonparticipants.

Data from the The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) was collected by Grandview Middle School and provided to Scholastic Testing Service, Inc. for statistical analysis.

Findings reported by Scholastic Testing Service, Inc. Performance data on the MCA was collected from 2010-2014 for students in grade 6 at Grandview Middle School in Mound, MN (Westonka Public School District). Students were identified as either FPS: students participating in a Future Problem Solving program, or Non-FPS: students not participating in the program. Summary statistics using Reading and Mathematics Scaled Scores were developed for each group of students by year and across years. To determine if the mean scores across the years were significantly different, t-tests were used. A Cohen’s d test was then performed to measure the effect of the size of the found differences.

In all cases, students participating in the Future Problem Solving Program performed significantly higher on the MCA in both areas of Mathematics and Reading.

Effects of Group Training in Problem-Solving Style on Future Problem-Solving Performance

The journal of creative behavior (jcb) of the creative education foundation.

Seventy-five participants from one suburban high school formed 21 teams with 3–4 members each for Future Problem Solving (FPS). Students were selected to participate in either the regular FPS or an enhanced FPS, where multiple group training activities grounded in problem-solving style were incorporated into a 9-week treatment period.

An ANCOVA procedure was used to examine the difference in team responses to a creative problem-solving scenario for members of each group, after accounting for initial differences in creative problem-solving performance, years of experience in FPS, and creative thinking related to fluency, flexibility, and originality. The ANCOVA resulted in a significant difference in problem-solving performance in favor of students in the treatment group (F(1, 57) = 8.21, p = .006, partial eta squared = .126, medium), while there were no significant differences in years of experience or creativity scores. This result led researchers to conclude that students in both groups had equivalent creative ability and that participation in the group activities emphasizing problem-solving style significantly contributed to creative performance.

In the comparison group, a total of 47% had scores that qualified for entry to the state competition. In contrast, 89% of the students in the treatment group had scores that qualified them for the state bowl. None of the teams from the comparison group qualified for the international competition, while two teams from the treatment group were selected, with one earning sixth place.

The results of this study suggest that problem-solving performance by team members can be improved through direct instruction in problem-solving style, particularly when there is a focus on group dynamics.

The Journal of Creative Behavior, Vol. 0, Iss. 0, pp. 1–12 © 2017 by the Creative Education Foundation, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/jocb.176

Future Problem Solving Program International—Second Generation Study

“how important was future problem solving in the development of your following skill sets”.

In 2011, a team of researchers from the University of Virginia submitted a report titled “Future Problem Solving Program International—Second Generation Study.” (Callahan, Alimin, & Uguz, 2012). The study, based on a survey, collected data from over 150 Future Problem Solving alumni to understand the impact of their participation in Future Problem Solving as students or volunteers.

Percentage of Alumni Rating Important and Extremely Important in Developing Skill Sets

• 96% Look at the “Big Picture”
• 93% Critical Thinking
• 93% Teamwork and Collaboration
• 93% Identify and Solve Problems
• 93% Time Management
• 90% Researching
• 90% Evaluation and Decision Making
• 86% Creativity and Innovation
• 86% Written Communication

The report captured alumni’s positive experiences as students in Future Problem Solving and documented that the alumni continued to utilize the FPS-structured approach to solving problems in their adult lives.

Executive Director

A seasoned educator, April Michele has served as the Executive Director since 2018 and been with Future Problem Solving more than a decade. Her background in advanced curriculum strategies and highly engaging learning techniques translates well in the development of materials, publications, training, and marketing for the organization and its global network. April’s expertise includes pedagogy and strategies for critical and creative thinking and providing quality educational services for students and adults worldwide.

Prior to joining Future Problem Solving, April taught elementary and middle grades, spending most of her classroom career in gifted education. She earned the National Board certification (NBPTS) as a Middle Childhood/Generalist and later served as a National Board assessor for the certification of others. In addition, April facilitated the Theory and Development of Creativity course for the state of Florida’s certification of teachers. She has also collaborated on a variety of special projects through the Department of Education. Beyond her U.S. education credentials, she has been trained for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Humanities.

A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s in Elementary Education and the University of South Florida with a master’s in Gifted Education, April’s passion is providing a challenging curriculum for 21st century students so they are equipped with the problem-solving and ethical leadership skills they need to thrive in the future. As a board member in her local Rotary Club, she facilitates problem solving in leadership at the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute and earned her certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Edyth Bush Institute at Rollins College.

Cherrybrook Technology High School

Future Problem Solving Program

Future Problem Solvers (FPS) is a HPGE (formerly GATS) initiative run by FPS Australia, a non-for profit educational organisation. FPS provides an opportunity for the students involved to develop critical, creative and futuristic thinking skills with an emphasis on co operative, small group learning and clear and concise communication of ideas.

Future Problem Solving challenges bright, motivated students to use their imagination in applying learned information and advanced thinking strategies.

The goals of the FPS program are to:

• Think more creatively by becoming involved in activities to increase the flexibility, fluency, originality and elaboration of their thinking.
• Develop research skills needed for the collection of data from past and contemporary sources.
• Relate effectively with others as members of a small, cohesive team.
• Improve oral and written communication skills for the better understanding of their ideas by others.
• Become interested in the future since this is where they will spend the rest of their lives.
• Solve problems by learning and using effectively a six step creative problem solving
 process.
• Think critically and analytically about significant societal issues.

More can be found about FPS here: https://www.fpsp.org.au/

Office hours are between 8:15am and 3:30pm.

Cherrybrook Technology High School 28-44 Purchase Rd Cherrybrook NSW 2126

Phone: 02 9484 2144

Email: [email protected]

Future Problem Solving Program (FPSP) needed to move from their existing web platform Adobe Business Catalyst due to the announcement of the end of life coming up in early 2021. The main problem FPSP was facing was finding a web platform that would fit their bespoke requirements. After a demo of the Udo web platform, FPSP soon found it was the perfect match due to the standard available modules making it an affordable and logical decision. During the design process, we were able to identify certain areas in their internal process where they could become more efficient by creating a fully integrated eCommerce solution. Automation of their Program registrations including a complex single and team finals online registration plus gathering important data like accommodation information, flights and bus transfers, clothing options and dietary information was also an important part and time-saving improvement. All these modules are standard features and part of the Udo web builder Platform.

Digital Agency & Web Design & Web App Dev , Company in Melbourne &  Brisbane

Business Catalyst Alternative  | 10 step BC Migration Plan | Artist Website Portfolio

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Eyes set on the future

By Sahar Foladi

Focused on the future young Anay Ashwin took out second place at the national Future Problem Solving Australia (FPSA) competition recently.

The student at Haileybury School Keysborough campus is not new to the FPSA program. He has participated at the national and international levels and won third place at the age of 11.

“I was given this opportunity three years ago and I was instantly hooked by the idea,” Anay said.

The program aims to empower young people from across the world to develop their creative thinking, critical thinking and problem solving skills so they can make a difference in their local and global communities.

At the national FPSA event, the innovative Haileybury student shared his ideas and research on what mining might look like in the year 2056.

“I tackled thought-provoking topics like green building, water supply and mining.”

Anay will make his way to the International championship in the US next year and he said he’s very excited for the event.

“It’s very proud moment for me to be able to represent my country.

“The topic for the Internationals will be released in March next year and that gives me three months to ramp up my preparation. I am really looking forward to meeting some friendly and familiar faces again.

“I try not to get nervous. My mantra is ‘keep calm and problem solve’.”

The young achiever was in the Junior Division of the International championship last year as a Grade 6 student. The upcoming International competition will see him in the middle division and will be a tough one.

“That’s the most popular and larger (division) so that’s from Year 7 to 9,” FPSA program coordinator, Kirsten Owens said.

Ms Owens said, “The program is our select-entry so we target students who have very high ability.

“It makes them think outside the box and extends them in ways that the regular curriculum doesn’t.”

Anay’s achievements and sharp mind at such a young age provides inspiration for the school.

More than 250,000 students from 14 countries have taken part in the program and Haileybury has been involved in the Future Problem Solving Program International for more than 20 years.

“The preparation for the competition involves some extensive research and the solutions we put forward have to be futuristic and creative,” Anay said.

“To be part of the event is a wonderful learning experience. I have met so many inspiring mentors and like-minded peers from around the world.”

The young global problem solver is set on the road to success and sure to make the country proud.

“My career pathway will definitely involve research and I would like to combine my passion for space exploration and medicine.

“I aspire to become a flight surgeon, to work for the Australian Space Agency and study the impact on humans of space travel or even living on the moon or Mars.”

The 2022 National Finals for Australian students were held from 14-16 October at Carey Baptist Grammar School, Melbourne.

Eagles in a class of their own

Baby found critically injured, woman hospitalised under police guard, wicki bows out of council election, motorcycle flips, ute explodes in fiery monash fwy crash, tall tales of magnificent trees.

Future Problem Solving Australia acknowledges the traditional owners of this land. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.