international future problem solving

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2024 International Conference

Registration notes and tips.

• On the Participants tab, register each team member as the participant type “competitor” 
• For the Division (Dropdown?) select “CmPS Non-Competing Team Member”
• On the Competitions tab, select “Community Problem Solving Team” separately for each non-attending team member.
• On the Room Assignments tab, select “CmPS Member Not Attending” as your room assignment to ensure you are not charged for  housing fees

Future Problem Solving Program International

FPSPI is a dynamic international program involving thousands of students annually from around the world. Developed in 1974 by creativity pioneer Dr. E. Paul Torrance, Future Problem Solving (FPS) provides competitive and non-competitive components for today’s curriculum via a six-step model which teaches critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making.

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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.

Problem 

“opening doors to the future”.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

JUNE 7 - JUNE 11, 2017

NORTH CAROLINA FPS represents at the 2017 FPSPI International Conference

2019 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

NORTH CAROLINA

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

1st place Middle Scenario Team

1st place Middle MAGIC

2nd place Middle GIPS Team

2nd place Junior GIPS Individual

8th place Junior GIPS Team

FPS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The Future Problem Solving International Conference features four days of fun, friendship, competition, exploration, and celebration. Teams from around the world meet to compete and solve problems. The 2023 competition will be held at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Annually the top teams and individuals in FPSPI affiliate and mentored programs are invited to the Future Problem Solving International Conference. Hosted on the campus of a prominent university, over 2,000 gather to vie for the title of international champion in team and individual Global Issues Problem Solving, Scenario Writing, and team and individual Community Problem Solving. Students leave the international conference with friends and memories that last a lifetime. 

"Of all of the many options for teaching students research and problem solving skills, Future Problem Solving is my favorite! FPS enables students to use their academic and creative talents and problem solving skills to make a difference in the world. This is a goal that all children should pursue."

Sally M. Reis, Department Head & Professor Educational Psychology Dept., NEAG School of Education UCONN

"I feel like FPS made it okay to be smart again. The FPS process can be applied to so many of life's sticky situations. In general, FPS made me the person I am today and I will continue to participate in whatever way possible. Through international conference, I've made friends in New Zealand with whom I still keep in contact."

Meg Duffy, 2005 Graduate of RHAM High School

Hebron, CT Wheaton College

2024 International Conference (IC) 2023 IC Topic: Currency 2022 IC Topic: Antibiotic Resistance 2021 IC Topic: Neurotechnology 2020 IC Topic: Terraforming  2019 IC Topic: De-extinction 2018 IC  Topic: Criminal Justice 2017 IC Topic: Biosecurity

2015 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

NORTH CAROLINA WINS!

Iowa State University

MULTI-AFFILIATE GLOBAL ISSUES PROBLEM SOLVING (MAGIC) MIDDLE DIVISION

MULTI-AFFILIATE GLOBAL ISSUES PROBLEM SOLVING (MAGIC) 

JUNIOR DIVISION

PRESENTATION OF ACTION PLAN

MIDDLE DIVISION

INDIVIDUAL GLOBAL ISSUES PROBLEM SOLVING

• Governor’s Cup
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• 6th Grade Showcase

Future Problem Solving

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FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING

Competition for 21st Century Learning Skills

Future Problem Solving Program International is celebrating 50 Years!

The year long celebration will culminate with the Future Problem Solving International Conference June 5-9, 2024 at the University of Indiana Bloomington.

Kentucky teams who place at our State Finals in March may earn an invitation to the International Competition to represent Kentucky on the world stage.

Kentucky has been a part of Future Problem Solving since 1988 with multiple top 10 finishes at the International Competition.

Kentucky: One of the International Leaders in FPS

Future Problem Solving (FPS) helps students obtain lifelong goals by teaching problem solving skills today. The diverse components of this internationally recognized, award-winning program prepare students for emerging new realities.

The Institute for Competition Sciences has recognized KAAC as the number one FPS affiliate in the world.

KAAC offers FPS through Governor's Cup Team FPS and FPS Component Events .

What is FPS?

Through academic competition, students apply critical thinking, advanced problem solving, and decision making skills to hypothetical future scenarios using the following FPS Six-Step Process:

• Step 1: Identify potential challenges or concerns from the Future Scene.
• Step 2: Identify a singular underlying problem.
• Step 3: Identify potential solutions to the underlying problem.
• Step 4: Develop criteria to judge potential solutions and their positive impact.
• Step 5: Evaluate and rank the potential solutions using criteria to rank solutions in order of importance.
• Step 6: Develop a complete action plan based on the highest-ranking solution.

Component Events

• Community Problem Solving (CmPS) - An individual or team of students work to identify a problem that exists in their school, community, state, or nation. Participants utilize the Six-Step Process to examine this area of concern, then develop and implement real-world projects to address these problems.
• Scenario Writing - Individual students write 1500-word stories related to one of the five yearly FPS topics. Each fictional story must be set at least 20 years in the future and outline logical events taking place in the world.
• Scenario Performance - Individual students develop and deliver oral stories related to one of the five yearly FPS topics. Each oral story is set 20 years in the future and should be told in a natural and spontaneous nature that is creative and entertaining to an audience.
• Junior Division FPS - A team of four students in grades 4-6 may participate in the Junior Division of FPS.
• Individual FPS - Individual students work through the FPS Six-Step Process and have two hours to complete a booklet. Individuals generate eight challenges in Step 1 and eight potential solutions in Step 3. The other steps are the same as the team competition.
• FPS Alternates -The FPS Alternates competition is for students who are part of a team that qualified for the State Finals, but are not actually competing in Governor’s Cup team FPS. The FPS Team Alternates Competition is held at the Governor’s Cup State Finals. It is NOT part of Governor’s Cup. Each FPS Alternates Team will consist of not more than four students from different schools who work through the FPS process. Each team generates 8 challenges in Step 1, and 8 solution ideas in Step 3. Step 2, Step 4, Step 5 and Step 6 are exactly the same as the team competition. Participants have 90 minutes to complete a booklet.

Don’t let your FPS questions go unanswered. We’re here to help. Give us a call at (502) 223-0088 or email us at Chris Hill .

Future Problem Solving Program

Ages: Elementary, Middle School, High School

Types: Submission, Tournament, Fair, Performance, Presentation

Scope: International

[email protected], [email protected]

Participate

Founded in 1974 by creativity pioneer, Dr. E. Paul Torrance, Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles. FPSPI engages students in creative problem solving within the curriculum and provides competitive opportunities.  Future Problem Solving Program International involves thousands of students annually from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Future Problem Solving Program involves four competitive challenges including: (1) Community Problem Solving, (2) Global Issues Problem Solving, (3) Scenario Writing, and (4) Scenario Performance.   Community Problem Solving challenges students to think systematically about problematic situations, to gather information to understand the situation, and to evaluate multiple solutions in order to best address the situation? Students involved in Community Problem Solving (CmPS) learn powerful lessons about creating change, about dealing with local authorities and organizations, and about making a positive impact. Community Problem Solving students create and submit a Project Report that is reviewed by expert problem solvers from FPSPI. The top Community Problem Solving projects are invited to the FPSP International Conference in June each year.   Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) is a competitive component of FPSPI which can be accomplished as a team (of 4) or individual activity in which participants research a series of global topics and learn a six-step creative problem solving process. Problem solvers apply their topic and creative problem solving knowledge to address a charge presented in an imagined situation, termed Future Scene. Trained evaluators score student work and return it with feedback including suggestions for improvement. The top scoring teams and individuals on the qualifying problem are invited to Affiliate FPS Competitions. The winners of each respective Affiliate FPS Competition advance to the FPSP International Conference in June. Four divisions are offered:Junior (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-9), Senior (grades 10-12), and Adult.   Scenario Writing  is a competition in which individuals (grades 4 – 12) develop short stories related to one of five FPS topics for the year. The story (1500 words or less) is set at least 20 years in the future and is an imagined, but logical, outcome of actions or events taking place in the world today. The first place winner in each Affiliate Program is invited to the FPSP International Conference. Each Affiliate Director may submit its top three scenarios to the International Scenario Writing Competition. The top 5 international winners in each division are invited to the International Conference in June. Three divisions are offered: Junior (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12).   Scenario Performance (ScP) was designed by FPSP Australia to develop and sustain the oral tradition of storytelling. Essentially, ScP is for students who enjoy telling stories. This option is ideally suited to students who show thinking abilities in different ways - particularly for those whose cultural heritage and/or learning styles prefer oral communication. Scenario Performances are connected to the annual FPSPI Scenario Writing topics as participants develop futuristic stories to present in a creative and entertaining manner. The stories do not have to be written, rather they are performed! Students are challenged to create a story that is between 4-5 minute duration, set at least 20 years in the future, and arises from any one of the topics set for Scenario Writing in the FPS year. Submission will take the form of a video file of the student delivering an oral telling of their story, undertaken in one take without any edits. The use of any props or aids, beyond the use of their voice, is forbidden. The performer may reference 15 cue cards (4x6 inches).  

FPSPI - International 1st Place

Team Award. $1000.

This award counts toward these ICS Academic Badges. Click on a badge for further info.

This badge demonstrates expertise in conducting a logical analysis of situations around us and creating innovative solutions to complex problems.

FPSPI - International 2nd Place

Fpspi - participation.

Team Award. $0.

Any student who completed participation in an FPSPI competition.

FPSPI - International 3rd Place

Team Award. $500.

Website: http://www.fpspi.org/

Managing Organization: Future Problem Solving Program International, Inc.

Contact: [email protected], [email protected]

Eligibility: Each FPSPI Affiliate Program determines its own processes, fees, and due dates for registration and entries. Your Affiliate Director can provide you with registration and submission materials and may be able to put you in touch with experienced FPSPI Coaches. See the competition website for more details.

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Future Problem Solving Program of California

"The genius of the future will be the creative mind adapting itself to the shape of things to come."

— E. Paul Torrance, Creativity Pioneer and FPS Founder

Future Problem Solving of California is an Affiliate of Future Problem Solving Program International [ http://www.fpspi.org ], an educational nonprofit focusing on the development of critical, creative and futuristic thinking skills.

Although FPS enhances students’ awareness of current issues, the main goal is to develop higher order thinking skills. By challenging students to apply their minds to some of the most significant issues facing the world of today and in the future, we help equip them with the vision, skills and tools to design and promote positive outcomes for society at local, regional and global scales.

The History of FPS

In 1974, when Dr. E. Paul Torrance accepted an invitation to work with a group of gifted youngsters at Clarke High School in Athens, Georgia, he was unaware that the activities he had developed would grow into an international program reaching approximately 250,000 students globally each year.

The skills developed through participation in FPS will last a lifetime — not only academically but throughout students’ lives and careers.

Creativity.

Leadership.

Critical thinking.

Time management.

Social responsibility.

Friendly competition.

Research and analysis.

Academic achievement.

Effective Communication.

Competitive Divisions

Under the guidance of a teacher/coach, teams of four students use the FPS six-step process to explore challenges and propose action plans to solve complex societal problems.

There are three divisions for all components:

Junior - Grades 4 - 6

Middle - Grades 7 - 9

Senior - Grades 10 - 12

FPS Components

Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS). Click here for more info. [link to GIPS description]

Community Problem Solving (CmPS). Click here for more info [link to CmPS description]

Scenario Writing. Click here for more info.  [link to Scenario Writing description]

Scenario Performance. Click here for more info. [link to Scenario Performance description]

Action Based Problem Solving (AbPS) - noncompetitive classroom-based component. Click here for more info  [link to description]

FPS Six-Step Problem-Solving Process

The FPS Process mirrors the linear approach of the scientific method, focused on; Understanding the Problem (via background research & asking multiple questions), Generating Ideas (hypothesis), and Planning for Action (developing conclusions/solutions & reporting results in writing).

Identify Challenges - Generate challenges or issues related to global research, Future Scenes, or a specific need area.

Select an Underlying Problem - Identify the key issue to be resolved.

Produce Solution Ideas - Brainstorm solutions to solve the underlying problem.

Generate & Select Criteria  - Develop criteria to evaluate the merit of the best solution ideas.

Apply Criteria - Evaluate each solution using your selected criteria and assign a ranking order.

Develop an Action Plan - based on the highest scoring idea, develop an Action Plan explaining how the solution will be deployed and how it solves the underlying  problem.

Missouri Future Problem Solving Program

Teaching students how to think, not what to think., about fpspi, costs and due dates, registration form, officers and directors, coaching information.

Future Topics

GEORGIA FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING PROGRAM, INC

  teaching students how to think, not what to think......

WELCOME TO THE 50TH YEAR OF GEORGIA FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING

AND FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING PROGRAM INTERNATIONAL!!

This site was updated in April, 2024.

Problem Solving

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking

Decision Making

--through a challenging academic competition

FPS has highly-engaging competitions that can be independent activities or infused into the school curriculum.  A school affiliation is not necessary for FPS participation in Georgia.

GA FPSP materials for the 2024-25 school year will be available in August.

If you need more information, please contact GA FPSP Affiliate Director, Argen Hicks, at [email protected] .

S tudents can participate in FPS through schools (as a curricular or extracurricular activity) or independently.

All that is required is an adult sponsor (coach) and a spirit of adventure!

________ _ ____ _

WHAT IS FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING (FPS)?

Future Problem Solving is primarily a thinking activity in which students use both oral and written communication.

FPS engages students in critical thinking and creative problem solving.

(FPS is not mathematical problem solving or hands-on physical creation of an object to solve a problem.)

Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) was founded in 1974 by creativity pioneer, Dr. E. Paul Torrance, at the University of Georgia.  FPSPI promotes a six-step problem solving process and encourages students to develop a vision of the future.

GA FPSP sponsors three  different academic competitions for students in grades 4 through 12 during the school year.  In Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS), students study a given topic such as Terraforming or Sleep Patterns and apply the six-step problem solving process to a future scenario about the topic.  In Scenario Writing, students develop their own future story about the topic.  In Community Problem Solving (CmPS), students apply the six-step process to a real problem in their own community.

(To find out about three other components -- Scenario Performance (competitive), and Novice and Action-based Problem Solving (non-competitive; similar to Global Issues Problem Solving) -- contact GA FPSP.)

Students demonstrate their critical and creative thinking skills through writing (Global Issues, Scenario Writing), and through writing and visual documentation (CmPS).

The FPS Six-Step Problem Solving Process:

1. Identify Challenges Related to the Area of Concern

2. Select an Underlying Problem

3. Produce Solution Ideas to the Underlying Problem

4. Generate and Select Criteria to Evaluate Solution Ideas

5. Evaluate Solution Ideas to Determine the Best Solution

6. Develop an Action Plan for Implementing the Best Solution

FPSPI is a nonprofit educational corporation administering creative problem solving activities for students in grades K-12.  GA FPSP is one of 30+ FPSPI Affiliate programs in the United States, Australia, Korea, Portugal, New Zealand, Singapore, and other countries around the world. Annually, over 250,000 students participate in FPS activities.

Who can participate in Georgia?

Georgia FPSP competitions  open to all students in grades 4-12 or equivalent school year levels.  Individuals or teams participate in one of three divisions:

Junior division – grades 4-6, Middle division – grades 7-9, Senior division – grades 10-12

Click below to read more about FPSPI and reasons to participate.

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The World has a Waste Problem. Here’s How to Fix It

By Nuru Lama IFC Global Lead for Waste and Circularity

Originally published in EFE

Let’s face it: waste management is not exactly a glamorous topic. In fact, even in the international discourse on climate and development, addressing waste has not been high on the agenda. But if we are to succeed at addressing the global climate, pollution, and biodiversity-loss crises, we need to talk more about waste—and do more, globally and locally.

Waste is responsible for a full  20 percent  of the world’s human-related methane emissions. And, at a potency  80 times that of carbon dioxide , these emissions will continue to wreak environmental and economic havoc if left unchecked, making it nearly impossible to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Unfortunately, the outlook is rather grim. With rising urbanization, rapid industrialization, and ever-increasing consumption, the global scale of solid waste generation has reached staggering proportions. The world generates over 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, and this is expected  to increase 70 percent by 2050 . Most of this increase will come from developing countries, where the issues are exacerbated by the lack of reliable waste collection services, limited source separation of waste types, and reliance on unmanaged landfills and open dumps for disposal—creating vast, toxic mountains that pollute the air, contaminate the water, endanger public health, and hasten climate change. In Latin America and the Caribbean for example , around 145,000 tons of garbage  - a third of all urban waste- ends up in dumpsites every day.

Meanwhile, the proliferation of plastic waste—discarded bottles, bags, containers of all sorts—is responsible for the majority of debris found in rivers and oceans, causing serious risks to marine life and coastal livelihoods.  According to UNESCO,  plastic debris kills more than 1 million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals.

The flip side of this somber scenario is that it’s a fixable problem. Unlike other complex climate- and development-related challenges that will require major innovation and technological advances to address, scalable methods to curb waste-generated pollution and methane emissions already exist in practice. These solutions enable energy recovery and a “circular” approach to production and consumption that emphasizes reuse, recycling, and regeneration to minimize environmental impacts. And they offer the promise of inclusive job creation and business opportunities that can uplift entire communities.

The flip side of this somber scenario is that it’s a fixable problem. Unlike other complex climate- and development-related challenges that will require major innovation and technological advances to address, scalable methods to curb waste-generated pollution and methane emissions already exist in practice.

These circular pathways begin with modernizing the waste collection process—increasing the scope and scale of recycling to reclaim materials such as plastics, glass and metals, and organic waste for composting and energy value. This cuts down on what’s sent to landfills and yields new income streams for municipalities and waste management companies, which can help offset the cost of asset upgrades. It also gives producers an opportunity to reduce their own carbon emissions by limiting the amount of new raw material and energy needed. And compared to open dumps, sanitary landfills with methane capture and utilization are key to avoiding harmful waste leakage into the environment—and to mitigating climate change.

One example is the construction of Latin America's largest mechanized recycling plant in the state of Pernambuco, in the northeast region of Brazil, with a capacity to process approximately 2,000 tons of waste per day. This initiative was supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank) through the issuance of  the first sustainability loan in the country's waste sector . IFC has been taking such a comprehensive approach in many other countries, such as  Poland  and  Vietnam ,  engaging across the entire sustainable waste management value chain.

Of course, there are challenges, which limit the widespread adoption of sustainable waste management practices. Regulations that support and enforce proper waste collection, recycling, energy recovery, and disposal are vital. Extended producer responsibility (EPR)regulations offer potential for boosting circularity, while reducing the burden on municipal waste management operators. EPR legislation such as that  enacted in India  places responsibility on producers and manufacturers to collect the waste they create—such as plastic packaging—and reuse or recycle it—rather than sending it to landfills.

And as with other essential infrastructure services like electricity and water, there is need for ensuring that households, businesses, and municipalities pay for managing the waste that they generate. The ability to pay can often be a bottleneck in lower-income countries and communities. Public-private financing approaches, with concessional finance and business models that extract value and additional revenue sources from waste will be needed. For example, waste management companies are tapping the carbon credit market where possibilities abound, providing financial incentives to invest and expand their operations in ways that help reduce emissions.

Despite the great promise it holds for curbing global warming, reducing pollution, greening cities, and creating economic opportunity, methane abatement accounts for  only 2 percent of climate finance  today. Dedicated initiatives such as IFC’s  Circularity Plus  platform—which provides companies and municipalities with investment and advisory solutions that accelerate the waste-to-value approach—are seeking to close such gaps and raise awareness about the possibilities.

Fixing the world’s waste problem is 100 percent doable. But we must come together—public and private sector, governments, regulators, investors, international development institutions, climate activists, and civil society—to elevate the dialogue, spur action, and trigger more investment. If we can do that, we’ll have a far better shot at realizing the dream of a cleaner, greener, and healthier future.