creative problem solving competition

Hong Kong Mathematics Creative Problem Solving Competition for Secondary Schools

Introduction.

Hong Kong Mathematics Creative Problem Solving Competition for Secondary Schools is co-organised by the Education Bureau and Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers.

The competition aims at identifying mathematically gifted students and providing them with opportunities to develop their mathematics creative problem - solving and collaboration skills.

Latest News (Last updated on 21 March 2024 )

Heat results of the competition and the list of final teams for the 2023/24 school year are released  here (Chinese only). If an amendment to the information is needed, please email Mr LO Wing-pun at [email protected] by 28 March.

For the final teams, the teacher-in-charge will receive the admission forms indicating the exact time and venue of the final competition through email.

For the other teams, certificates will be ready for collection after the final competition.

Competition Format

Each team is expected to attempt 10-15 mathematics problems within 65 minutes.

Each team is expected to attempt 1-2 mathematics creative problem solving questions. Hands-on experiments, verbal presentation and other diversified methods will be incorported in the assessment.

Teamwork, higher order thinking and creative problem solving are the foci of the competition.

Eligibility

• Each school can only send one team to participate in the competition.
• Each team consists of 4 students.
• Secondary 1 to 2 students are eligible for the competition with at most two secondary 2 students in each team.

WP01B, Podium,  West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon 

WB, 4/F, West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon

Enrolment Procedures

Please either (i) download the enrolment form here and email the scanned form to [email protected] upon completion; or (ii) complete the e-form here .

Remark: The enrolment form is a digital PDF file where the principal’s signature and the school chop can be inserted. If you are unable to insert the principal’s signature or the school chop into the enrolment form, you may first complete the enrolment form before signing and stamping it. The completed enrolment form should then be scanned and emailed to us.

For related resources and past paper, please click here .

For enquiries, please contact Mr LO Wing-pun of the Gifted Education Section, Curriculum Support Division, Education Bureau (Tel. No.: 3698 3493)

ODYSSEY IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Technology and science meet art and drama in odyssey of the mind , the world's original and longest-running creative problem-solving competition in which students learn how to write skits, build props, act, construct mechanical devices, work as a team, and much, much more, south carolina odyssey of the mind (scootm) is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that offers odyssey of the mind program for students from kindergarten through college. by tapping into creativity and encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems for a lifetime., odyssey of the mind teaches students how to think well beyond the box and how to think divergently by providing open-ended, fun problems that appeal to a wide range of interests: music, architecture, technology, theatre, programming, history, and more, have a question, let us know:.

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CT Odyssey of the Mind

What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Odyssey of the Mind (OM™) is an international creative problem solving competition.

Odyssey of the Mind has been a leader in education for 40 years, teaching students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem-solvers. Imagine being faced with a problem that requires an original solution. It can be frightening. Now imagine not being afraid to solve that problem – that is what OM members learn. This skill and self-confidence will carry over to all areas of their lives. OM brings the classroom to life as students apply what they learn and combine it with their interests and passions to solve our unique open-ended problems. OM also emphasizes teamwork, budgeting, time management, public speaking, and so much more. This international program is designed to help students at all learning levels grow as individual learners, grow as team members, and to reach their full potential.   

  Connecticut Odyssey of the Mind has sponsored a state-wide tournament since 1981.  Each year, hundreds of students from across the state come together to compete in the Connecticut Tournament.   

International Conference Info

FPS International Conference 2024 Happening June 5th – 9th On the campus of Indiana University Bloomington Stay tuned for more details and updates!

Competition Info

Global issues.

GIPS Overview

Community Issues

CmPS Overview Excellence in Project Management Award Information

Scenario Writing

SW Overview

Scenario Performance

ScP Overview

Presentation of Action Plan

PAP Overview

Registration Info

Registration packet, medical release form, publication and behavior release form, tentative schedule, non competing cmps team members, transportation and off-campus tours.

• VMI offers: flight reservations , shuttle service , and off-campus tours
• GoExpress offers: shuttle service

What is the International Conference?

Future Problem Solvers from around the globe have come together to celebrate the final round of their competitive season, the Future Problem Solving International Conference. This annual competition draws 2,500+ problem solving champions from all over the world who compete at local and regional levels throughout the school year. Successful teams and individuals from Affiliate Programs and Mentored Regions converge to recognize their accomplishments and expertise gained from using the Creative Problem Solving process. Before competition begins, participants celebrate the breathtaking Flag Procession designed to welcome every region represented and kick-off the International Conference.

Students from each component will have unique experiences as they compete with their peers and collaborate with new friends. Students compete in four different components , and use the FPS six step problem solving process to tackle unique challenges .

Global Issues Problem Solvers pursue the honor of International Champion as they complete the Problem Solving Process on the designated International Conference topic. Past IC topics have included Intellectual Property, Space, Global Status of Women, Green Living, and many others. Affiliate Champions complete the process and illustrate their Action Plans through a creative presentation.

Community Problem Solvers display and present their projects not only for evaluation and interviews, but also in a “CmPS Showcase” for other’s to interact with their project work (on-site and on our virtual platform). The students seeking and achieving change in their communities demonstrate how bright the future will be with these emerging leaders guiding the way.

Scenario Writing Affiliate Program Scenario champions are invited to participate in the Scenario Writing competition. They will write a spontaneous Scenario based on a Future Scene about the IC topic.

Scenario Performers display their storytelling skills as they present their original performance focused on the International Conference topic.

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.

IEO will take place in Saint Petersburg in the end of July 2019.

The International Economics Olympiad (IEO) is an annual competition in economics organized for students at secondary school level. It is intended to stimulate the activities of students interested in economics, business, and finance by way of creative problem solving. The IEO competitions help to facilitate cordial relations between young adults of different nationalities; they encourage cooperation and international understanding.

Higher School of Economics  is a leading Russian university in economics, social sciences and other fields. According to QS World University Rankings by subject, it is ranked 51—100 in the World and 1st in Russia in Economics & Econometrics.

Moscow is one of the world largest cities, a modern metropolis, the capital and ancient center of the Russian state with a history going back many centuries. It is the city, which everyone should visit.

The final results

Taste of victory: kazakhstan and malaysia triumph.

Day the 4th: contestants` impression

It`s the 4 th day of the IEO and the Force is with us like never! Two rounds are ahead now, the third one takes place tomorrow. During the Olympiad we have been collecting feedback about the tasks from our contestants. Opinions were different, sometimes even ambiguous, but we want to share all of them.

‘Economics Olympiad Gives an Opportunity to Share Ideas and Compete’

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Olá obecon.

The first stage of OBECON went online!

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Benefits of Problem-Solving in the K-12 Classroom

From solving complex algebra problems to investigating scientific theories, to making inferences about written texts, problem-solving is central to every subject explored in school. Even beyond the classroom, problem-solving is ranked among the most important skills for students to demonstrate on their resumes, with 82.9% of employers considering it a highly valued attribute. On an even broader scale, students who learn how to apply their problem-solving skills to the issues they notice in their communities – or even globally –  have the tools they need to change the future and leave a lasting impact on the world around them.

Problem-solving can be taught in any content area and can even combine cross-curricular concepts to connect learning from all subjects. On top of building transferrable skills for higher education and beyond, read on to learn more about five amazing benefits students will gain from the inclusion of problem-based learning in their education:

• Problem-solving is inherently student-centered.

Student-centered learning refers to methods of teaching that recognize and cater to students’ individual needs. Students learn at varying paces, have their own unique strengths, and even further, have their own interests and motivations – and a student-centered approach recognizes this diversity within classrooms by giving students some degree of control over their learning and making them active participants in the learning process.

Incorporating problem-solving into your curriculum is a great way to make learning more student-centered, as it requires students to engage with topics by asking questions and thinking critically about explanations and solutions, rather than expecting them to absorb information in a lecture format or through wrote memorization.

• Increases confidence and achievement across all school subjects.

As with any skill, the more students practice problem-solving, the more comfortable they become with the type of critical and analytical thinking that will carry over into other areas of their academic careers. By learning how to approach concepts they are unfamiliar with or questions they do not know the answers to, students develop a greater sense of self-confidence in their ability to apply problem-solving techniques to other subject areas, and even outside of school in their day-to-day lives.

The goal in teaching problem-solving is for it to become second nature, and for students to routinely express their curiosity, explore innovative solutions, and analyze the world around them to draw their own conclusions.

• Encourages collaboration and teamwork.

Since problem-solving often involves working cooperatively in teams, students build a number of important interpersonal skills alongside problem-solving skills. Effective teamwork requires clear communication, a sense of personal responsibility, empathy and understanding for teammates, and goal setting and organization – all of which are important throughout higher education and in the workplace as well.

• Increases metacognitive skills.

Metacognition is often described as “thinking about thinking” because it refers to a person’s ability to analyze and understand their own thought processes. When making decisions, metacognition allows problem-solvers to consider the outcomes of multiple plans of action and determine which one will yield the best results.

Higher metacognitive skills have also widely been linked to improved learning outcomes and improved studying strategies. Metacognitive students are able to reflect on their learning experiences to understand themselves and the world around them better.

• Helps with long-term knowledge retention.

Students who learn problem-solving skills may see an improved ability to retain and recall information. Specifically, being asked to explain how they reached their conclusions at the time of learning, by sharing their ideas and facts they have researched, helps reinforce their understanding of the subject matter.

Problem-solving scenarios in which students participate in small-group discussions can be especially beneficial, as this discussion gives students the opportunity to both ask and answer questions about the new concepts they’re exploring.

At all grade levels, students can see tremendous gains in their academic performance and emotional intelligence when problem-solving is thoughtfully planned into their learning.

Interested in helping your students build problem-solving skills, but aren’t sure where to start? Future Problem Solving Problem International (FPSPI) is an amazing academic competition for students of all ages, all around the world, that includes helpful resources for educators to implement in their own classrooms!

Learn more about this year’s competition season from this recorded webinar:    https://youtu.be/AbeKQ8_Sm8U and/or email [email protected] to get started!

It’s official, we have amazing news for the Plant the Moon Challenge – NASA just announced that they will be awarding over $4 million to institutions across the United States, including our partner, the Virginia Space Grant Consortium , specifically to support the expansion of the Institute of Competition Science’s Plant the Moon Challenge to over 13,000 new students in the next three years! The PTMC was selected as one of just four projects to receive support from the NASA Space Grant K-12 Inclusiveness and Diversity in STEM (SG KIDS) solicitation.

The NASA Space Grant KIDS funding aims to provide experiences for students to learn about NASA’s Artemis mission to return human explorers to the Moon and to Mars. Receiving this funding will expand the Plant the Moon Challenge and provide new opportunities for students to explore space science, mission design, agriculture, botany, and more, all through the hands-on, project-based structure of the PTMC. The grant supports six Space Grant Consortium partners to engage new middle and high school teams in their states including: North Carolina , South Carolina , West Virginia , Florida , Puerto Rico , and Virginia (the proposal lead).

About the Challenge

The Institute of Competition Sciences’ Plant the Moon Challenge (PTMC) is a global citizen science experiment for explorers, astronauts, and gardeners of all ages. Part hands-on learning activity and part project-based competition, the goal of the PTMC is to see who can grow the best crops using lunar or Martian regolith simulant.

Participants receive PTMC Activity Kit and form student groups that work together to design their own plant growth experiments over an eight-week grow period. For two weeks before the grow period, throughout the grow period, and for two weeks after the grow period, teams engage in weekly activities and virtual events that supplement their experiments with STEM learning activities.

Piloted in 2021 and 2022, the Challenge has reached an exciting 4,000 students in its first two seasons. Thanks to the incorporation of NASA Space Grant KIDS funding, 13,080 additional students from targeted underrepresented and underserved populations and 510 formal and informal educators who teach these students will be engaged during a three-year project period.

The Institute of Competition Sciences is thrilled to be able to support more students and educators alongside the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and our five other regional Space Grant Consortia partners (Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and West Virginia) on this proposal. With the addition of materials stipends for participating teachers, expanded professional development for educators, enhanced speakers and activities for participants, and experiential prizes in each state and at the regional level, the NASA SG KIDS opportunity will greatly enhance the way students engage with NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond!

Teachers are saying…

“The students were in complete control (I only served as the guiding hand). They really enjoyed the importance of their work and loved that they were involved with NASA and their missions to help the Moon projects. They were really interested in finding out why their project didn’t work as planned. I had to tell them that failure was a key opportunity to truly learn. They then dug into their research as to why the plants didn’t reach maturity. Love, love, love this for them!”

“Plant the moon was a wonderful whole group experience that created a lot of dialogue amongst my students … My students were already very interested in space, and this just helped make it a little more real for them.”

“… My students took ownership of this project . They were committed to the weekly observations and recording of data and active in asking questions, troubleshooting and problem solving along the way.”

Get Involved

To learn more about our Plant the Moon/Plant Mars Challenge and upcoming opportunities, be sure to subscribe to the ICS Newsletter below, and visit the Plant the Moon Challenge website .

With schools across the United States getting started this month, now is the time many teachers are getting to know their classes, subjects, and maybe even grade levels. During this critical planning period, there are educational standards that need to be met at the national, state, and district levels. It can be stressful thinking about how to make sure students aren’t just building the hard skills they’ll need for testing, but also the soft skills that they’ll carry with them into higher education and/or their future careers – such as problem solving.

At every age, problem solving skills help students think critically and strategically about the world around them. Not only is problem-solving necessary in the classroom and during exams like SATs and ACTs, it can also encourage creativity and inspire students to pursue new knowledge and career pathways.

Problem solving is essential in every classroom, no matter the subject area, but it can be tricky finding organic ways to incorporate it into your curriculum. One of the best ways to help students hone their problem solving skills is to have your students participate in an academic competition! Competitions like Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) cater to students in multiple age ranges, and work with educators to curate the best experience for your students and their individual needs.

In this blog post, we will detail how you can integrate problem-solving into your curriculum for all grade levels – from kindergarten to high school – through FPSPI.

1. Check out their affordable, non-competitive resources for teachers.

FPSPI offers three different resources for educators who want to teach problem solving without guidance or the challenge environment:

• — Action-Based Problem Solving (ABPS) – available for students K-9 to provide guidance in the problem solving process and writing of ideas.
• — The Problem Solving Experience Curriculum – targeted at grades 5-8 to be implemented either as a full course, or spread out over 1-4 years, with complete lesson plans included.
• — Problem Solving Across the Curriculum (PSAC) – provides hundred of Future Scenes that can be modified for any classroom or grade level to give students the opportunity to apply the problem solving process.

2. Tackle global issues in the classroom.

Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) is available to teams or individual students who want to make a positive impact on the world. It can be used as a curriculum, integrated into existing content plans, or completed outside of school hours.

Participating students research global topics and resolve a Future Scene (a hypothetical scenario) by creating a detailed action plan.

3. Enact local change.

Community Problem Solving (CmPS) is also available to teams or individual students who want to explore the world around them, particularly issues that are close to home. CPS participants may also choose to address global concerns with their projects, but work to resolve the problems they choose by developing and carrying out their projects in the real world.

4. Get creative with performance or writing.

Scenario Writing (SW) and Scenario Performance (ScP) competitions call upon individual students to

respond to one of the five annual topics through either a 1500-word comprehensive essay or through an oral presentation, respectively. In both instances, students are asked to create stories that logically detail the outcomes of events taking place in the future.

Feedback from coaches:

[FPSPI] teaches important life skills.

[FPSPI helped our students with] developing advanced thinking skills.

FPS is challenging and involves hard work.

Want to learn more about how you can get your students involved in FPSPI? Check out the benefits of the program and get started this school year or join the 30-minute Intro to FPS Webinar on September 14th !

June 5 th -9 th , over 1,600 students from elementary to high school gathered both in-person and virtually at Future Problem Solving Program International’s (FPSPI) International Conference to compete in variety of challenges addressing antibiotic resistance . Our very own CEO, Josh Neubert, even attended to check out some of the amazing work done by FPSPI students and present during the opening ceremony. We wanted to give a huge shout out and congratulations to the many talented students who participated!

FPSPI is all about emphasizing the importance of creative and critical thinking and decision-making by teaching students how to approach problem-solving – not telling them what to think. Through FPSPI competitions, students learn and practice a clear and logical approach that they can use in any type of creative problem-solving scenario throughout their lives. From environmental and social issues, to travel, technology, and medicine, FPSPI has covered a wide range of interesting and relevant topics that students can really explore and take ownership of.

The IC 2022 Future Scene challenged students to come up with new ways to detect environmental pollution and reduce the risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria circulating through water and soil in Tasmania’s cherry orchards. Their projects address concerns the Tasmanian government may have about the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria during farming, all while considering the importance of cherry yield for the Tasmanian economy.

During the International Conference (IC) students were recognized in the following categories:

PAP (Presentations of Action Plan)

Students from all divisions – Junior, Middle, and Senior – developed their PAP submissions in response to the IC 2022 Future Scene. Check out the presentations from one of the first-place teams at time stamp 42:00 during the IC Awards Ceremony video . This team’s plan involved killing bacteria with rays of UV light from Drone UV admitters (DUV) on a predetermined flight plan!

Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Problem Solving Competition (MAGIC)

The MAGIC contest took place on-site during the International Conference, which allowed students from around the world to collaborate with one another. Competitors were randomly assigned to teams based on division and worked together with other students from different states and countries to complete a handwritten booklet (similar to the Global Issues Problem Solving competition). The MAGIC booklet included eight challenges, eight solution ideas, and a shortened grid for students to complete within two hours.

Scenario Performance (ScP)

Students competing in the Scenario Performance category developed and acted out stories based on their future projections about antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Their performances were evaluated based on their storytelling technique, audience awareness, use of voice, development of story, characterization, creative and futuristic thinking, and overall connection to the topic.

Scenario Writing (SW)

Scenario Writing competitors also got creative by writing original futuristic short stories about their projections about the same topic. Their written works were assessed on creative and forward thinking, idea and character development, style/voice, mechanics, research, and how well they were able to entertain and inform the audience about antibiotic resistance in their Future Scene.

Community Problem Solving (CmPS)

The 361 students who took part in the Community Problem Solving competition addressed an area of concern from their own communities. By providing a framework to move beyond traditional service learning, students apply the problem-solving process to identify and address local, state, national or global issues that result in measurable outcomes. On-site students prepared their displays for evaluation at the International Conference.

Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS)

The Global Issues Problem Solving category allows both teams and individuals to respond to the Future Scene using the Six-Step Process. 835 students completed in-depth research about Antibiotic Resistance before the competition started.  Students involved in GIPS practice powerful problem-solving skills that engage their critical and creative thinking. Hundreds of creative solutions were presented on to address the Future Scene! Check out the final results of each competition here .

Want to get involved in future FPSPI competitions? Parents, educators, and students from all around the world are invited to participate in categories like the ones from the 2022 International Conference! Learn more about the different types of competitions here , or find an FPSPI Affiliate to get started .

Sustainability is central to all engineering projects and is becoming even more critical as our concern for environmental health is exacerbated by climate change and the need to produce “green” energy and conserve precious resources. Our global environment and economy are so inextricably intertwined that engineers must consider environmental impact in every financial decision they make, which is why the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University is committed to providing engineering students with the resources they need to address this challenge.

Given the growing importance of sustainability, it’s no wonder that undergraduate students in all fields of engineering who can highlight their experience solving environmental issues will be in the highest demand. If you are or know an undergraduate-level engineering student who wants to gain this valuable experience and, at the same time, make a real environmental difference, the WERC Environmental Design Contest might just be the perfect competition to foster an understanding of environmental issues!

The WERC Environmental Design Contest was founded over three decades ago by New Mexico State University’s College of Engineering, creating an opportunity for college students that has led to careers in academia, major engineering firms, and government agencies such as the EPA. Engineering professionals who have participated in the WERC competition have called it “an engineering education opportunity of a lifetime.” Modeled after an engineering Request for Proposals (RFP), this competition asks students to spend 3-6 months as “professional engineers,” creating a complete engineering design, including bench-scale testing and a business plan for full-scale implementation. It also gives students the chance to pitch their business plans during an exciting event called “Flash Talks”, a Shark-Tank-inspired setting where students give a 3-minute pitch of their designs to judges who pose as “investors.”

The contest culminates with oral presentations and bench-scale demonstrations in Las Cruces, NM, April 16-19, 2023. Winners are eligible for an award pool of $30,000 for their solutions, and top papers are published in IEEE’s Xplore journal. As an amazing bonus, students competing in the WERC Environmental Design Contest have the opportunity to meet with academic, government, and industry experts, providing them with valuable networking contacts to advance their research and potential career opportunities.

In 2022, a student reflected, “The interaction with the judges made this an even greater learning experience that we will carry into our careers. They helped us understand practical limitations and issues based on their real-world experiences.”

For the 2023 competition, students can choose from six project topics – “tasks” – all of which are designed by businesses and organizations with an immediate interest in competitors’ solutions to real-world problems. There are tasks for most fields of engineering. A seventh open task is also available for teams who want to select their own challenge to solve. The tasks this season are:

• Beneficial wastewater reuse for rural communities
• Vehicle-to-grid resiliency
• Reducing water loss in mine tailings facilities
• Detecting microplastics in reservoirs
• Ammonia recovery from produced water
• A NASA task – to be determined

How to Get Involved

Interested in the WERC Environmental Design Contest ? Check out their guidelines to see if you or your team would be eligible. Sign up for their informational webinar on either July 20, 2022, or August 10, 2022 at 12:00PM Mountain Time to learn more about how to get started!

Informational webinars are 45 minutes long and give future competitors an introduction to the contest and the “hows” and “whys” of getting involved. Faculty, government, and industry speakers will be present to explain how the tasks are developed, how teams receive mentoring from professional engineers, and strategies for participating in the competition!

Register for July 20th

Register for August 10th

When people think of NASA the first things that come to mind are usually rockets and robots; however, NASA works on so many incredible areas of technology development that most of us don’t associate with the high tech space exploration administration. From advancing crop science that helps farmers increase their yields to improving how biomedical researchers can grow human tissues, NASA researchers have their hands in nearly every industry here on Planet One. And luckily, there are great ways for students to get involved and get recognized by NASA!

We’re fortunate to be living in the Artemis era, as second golden era of space exploration where NASA has a prime directive to return humans to the Moon and push on to Mars! Right now, excitement about space is growing faster than a speeding neutrino! The recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the development of new commercial space stations, the discovery of Earth-like exoplanets, the launch of commercial astronauts and (soon!) sending crewed missions to the moon! There’s never been a better time to get involved in space programs than right now.

But how do you get started? How do you get recognized by NASA. I mean, those people are wicked smart! If you’re a student in high school or college and you want to work at NASA helping to advance any of the amazing projects on the horizon, it might seem a little daunting to even know how to begin. Well, NASA, and a bunch of supporting organizations have tons of amazing competitions and contests that students can participate in.

These student competitions, contests, challenges, and prize programs are amazing ways to get recognized by and connected with NASA. Not only that, their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus, helps students prepare for a wide array of college and career opportunities. So if you want to get recognized by the smarty pants at NASA, you might want to start here. We’ve compiled a list of our top competitions that can help you get connected with NASA!

1.   Plant the Moon and Mars Challenge

Age Range: Elementary, Middle, High, and College

Tags: Citizen Science, Science Fair, Agriculture, Botany, Lunar Exploration, Mars Exploration, Life Support, Mission Design.

This STEM competition challenges teams of up to 10 students to see who can grow the best crops in Lunar or Martian regolith! It combines agriscience, farming, and botany with space exploration, planetary science, geology, and NASA mission technology development. Teams receive 5kg packs of simulated regolith painstakingly engineered by the University of Central Florida’s Exolith Laboratory to be as close to the real thing as possible. Through an 8 week grow period, students conduct their own experiments to test out which types of crops grow best with which types of fertilizers added to the simulated regolith.

Students get connected with NASA researchers, botanists, and university academics to learn how NASA is helping to advance crop science for space exploration and for the agriculture industry here at home. Anyone interested in testing out their hand at being an astrofarmer, check out this citizen science competition!

Learn more: https://plantthemoon.com/

2.   Lunabotics

Age Range: College

Tags: Robotics, Mining, Lunar Exploration

LUNABOTICS is a STEM competition for college students that supports NASA’s lunar technology development by focusing on lunar construction with a challenge to build robots to simulate building a section of a berm on the lunar surface. On the lunar surface, a berm would surround lander launch and landing pads to prevent dust and debris from spreading onto habitats and experiments during.  The challenge provides students exposure to NASA’s systems engineering process: design, develop and evaluate robots, and an opportunity to be involved in a challenge with other community colleges, colleges/universities at KSC. The teams will also perform public outreach, submit systems engineering papers and present and demonstrate their work to a NASA review panel.

3.   Human Exploration Rover Challenge

Ages: High, College

Tags: Rovers, Lunar Expedition

This STEM competition for high school and college students tasks teams to design, develop, build, and test human-powered rovers capable of traversing challenging terrain and task tools for completion of various mission tasks.

4.   International Space Settlement Design Competition

Tags: Space Exploration, Mission Design, Habitats, Engineering

Through these hands on students competitions, teams of high school students adopt positions within a simulated professional workplace setting related to a future space settlement scenario. They are mentored by industry professionals as they work to deliver solutions to simulated futuristic aerospace engineering scenarios. Students gain a deeper understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) – specifically their application in the industries of today and tomorrow –providing them a platform to pursue careers in aeronautical, and other, fields and disciplines.

5.   Spaceport America Cup

Ages: college

Tags: Rocketry

The Spaceport America Cup is the world’s largest Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition for student rocketry teams. With over 120 teams from colleges and universities in twenty countries, the competition continues to grow every year. Students launch solid, liquid, and hybrid rockets to target altitudes of 10,000 and 30,000 feet. A great way for college students to connect their STEM skills with NASA launch goals!

6.   The American Rocketry Challenge

Ages: middle, high

The American Rocketry Challenge is the world’s largest rocket contest with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing each year. The contest gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build and launch model rockets and hands-on experience solving engineering problems. This STEM competition for students is a sure way to get NASA to recognize your students’ work!

7.   NASA Student Launch Competition

Ages: middle, high, college

Tags: rocketry

NASA’s Student Launch is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. It strives to provide relevant, cost-effective research and development of rocket propulsion systems. The student competition provides science, technology, engineering, and math skills for students that are directly relevant to NASA. This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.

8.   Micro-G Next

Tags: science, research, microgravity, Neutral Buoyancy

Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams encourages undergraduate students to design, build and test a tool or device that addresses an authentic, current space exploration challenge. The challenge includes hands-on engineering design, test operations and public outreach. Test operations are conducted in a simulated microgravity environment at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas.

9.   NASA BIG Idea Challenge

Ages: college, graduate

Tags: robotics, rover, space exploration

The 2022 BIG Idea Challenge provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to design, develop, and demonstrate robotic systems with alternative rover locomotion modalities for use in off-world extreme lunar terrain applications. A panel of NASA and industry judges selected seven innovative ideas from the academic community for a wide range of alternative rover locomotion modalities to either enhance or replace traditional wheeled mobility systems that can expand our access to extreme terrain on the Moon and (later) on Mars.

10. Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone (GLEE)

Age Range: High, College

Tags: Lunar Exploration, Programming, Satellites,

Inspired by NASA’s Apollo Moon landings over 50 years ago, the Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone (GLEE) will be a catalyst for a new generation of space missions and explorers. This scientific and technological mission to the Moon will deploy 500 LunaSats to the lunar surface to conduct local and distributed science missions. LunaSats are tiny spacecraft with an integrated sensor suite that will be programmed by teams of students all over the world for a mission of their own design. These teams will be mentored by GLEE program staff through the programming, test, launch, and data gathering process. GLEE will be free to all teams that are selected for participation. From hands-on activities to a global citizen science network, GLEE is the next step to inspire and engage the world in a truly global mission to the Moon.

11. International Space Apps Challenge

Ages: high, college, graduate, professional

Tags: coding, programming

The NASA International Space Apps Challenge (Space Apps) is an international hackathon for coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, technologists, and others in cities around the world, where teams engage the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) free and open data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space.

Each October, over the course of two days, Space Apps brings participants from around the world together at hundreds of in-person and virtual local events to solve challenges submitted by NASA experts. After the hackathon, project submissions are judged by space agency experts and winners are selected for one of 10 Global Awards. Space Apps provides problem-solvers worldwide with NASA’s free and open data, giving teams the opportunity to learn how to use these resources to solve each year’s challenges.

12. Zero Robotics Competition

Ages: Middle, High

Tags: Robotics, Microgravity, International Space Station, Coding, Programming

Zero Robotics is a robotics programming competition where the robots are SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites) inside the International Space Station. The competition starts online, on this website, where teams program the SPHERES to solve an annual challenge. After several phases of virtual competition in a simulation environment that mimics the real SPHERES, finalists are selected to compete in a live championship aboard the ISS. An astronaut will conduct the championship competition in microgravity with a live broadcast!

13. NASA AstroPhoto Contests

Ages: Elementary, Middle, High, College, Graduate

Tags: Photography, science, astrophotography, data science

NASA’s Astrophoto Challenges include two challenges: the MicroObservatory Challenge and the NASA Data Challenge. Teams entering either challenge could be selected by NASA’s Universe of Learning team as a standout entry for feedback from NASA scientists! In the MicroObservatory Challenge, students capture their own real-time telescope image of the Carina Nebula, and process it with MicroObservatory’s JS9‑4L tool. Then student teams consider how the image of the Carina Nebula that they processed compares to an image of the Carina Nebula processed by NASA. In the NASA Data Challenge, student teams select any of NASA’s images of Eta Carina & the Carina Nebula and process them with MicroObservatory’s JS9‑4L tool. Then students use all the techniques they’ve learned with MicroObservatory to process real NASA data and create their best image.

14. Space Entrepreneurs Academy

Ages: high, college

Tags: technology, research, science, entrepreneurship, mission design,

This high school and university student education program combines science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with the excitement of commercial space entrepreneurship. The Space Entrepreneurs Academy (SEA) engages students in a wide array of aerospace topics through a unique library of diverse video interviews and custom tutorial videos from industry executives, academic researchers, and government leaders. The SEA provides an innovative digital learning opportunity to engage students in the STEM concepts behind commercial space entrepreneurship and encourages critical thinking about the future of the aerospace industry.

Each year, the academy concludes with a pitch competition presenting innovative new ideas for commercial space businesses from the top students around the world. Students completing the Space Entrepreneurship Academy are trained on a unique combination of entrepreneurship and aerospace content, gaining skills to help them bolster the rapidly growing workforce and launch the next wave of innovative aerospace products, services, and businesses.

The Space Entrepreneurs Academy opens in the fall of 2022. To receive information about this competition make sure you are registered on the ICS platform .

Find out more about these and hundreds of other competitions for students on the Institute of Competition Sciences platform! Join us as a featured member to get access to special discounts, unique competition opportunities, and to get an insider advice on how to succeed in all kinds of academic competitions.

Signup for your insider account at: www.competitionsciences.org

Each year, students in grades 4-12 around the world convene at Future Problem Solving Program International’s (FPSPI) International Conference to take part in events and workshops, brainstorm scenarios, collaborate with groups to complete creative problem-solving exercises, and learn from experts during presentations and Q&A sessions.

Additionally, Community Problem Solving competitors have the chance to showcase their projects from the past year both in-person and online, displaying and celebrating their solutions to issues facing their local communities.

This year, over 1,800 brilliant young minds will be attending the hybrid event beginning on June 9 th , 2022 to tackle an important challenge facing the future of global health care – antibiotic resistance .

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria undergo mutations that render antibiotic medicines ineffective against them. This means that doctors must continuously develop new drugs to treat patients with resistant infections, as well as to preserve the usefulness of existing antibiotic drugs.

There are many factors that contribute to the rising emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including over-prescription of antibiotic drugs, environmental pollution and poor pollution controls, agricultural misuse, and poor patient adherence to treatment instruction. Today, antibiotics are not only in medications, but also in food sources and plastics, creating more and more opportunities for antibiotic resistant microorganisms to develop.

In the United States alone, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year, leading to over 35,000 deaths. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has only contributed to creating conditions that may have reversed our progress on antibiotic resistance. Staffing shortages, record high numbers of patients, and longer hospital stays during the pandemic have led to increased difficulties implementing infection control practices.

The World Health Organization warns that, “While there are some new antibiotics in development, none of them are expected to be effective against the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Given the ease and frequency with which people now travel, antibiotic resistance is a global problem, requiring efforts from all nations and many sectors.”

FPSPI Global Issues Problem Solving and Scenario competitors will have the chance to tackle this incredibly relevant and important issue during the International Conference by researching all aspects of antibiotic resistance in preparation for challenges where they will need to analyze and address futuristic scenarios centered around the topic. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony on June 12 th , 2022.

To learn more about FPSPI’s International Conference, check out the readings, schedule, and more here .  To learn more about the antibiotic resistance topic, check out FPSPI’s video and resources here .

Stay tuned for more updates about the amazing work FPSPI students are doing with their research and writing during the 2022 Hybrid International Conference!

ICS Entrepreneurship provides students, parents, and educators with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to be successful in entrepreneurship competitions. The biggest dilemma young entrepreneurs face is the matter of solving a problem for their customers, which is why we are collaborating with Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) to show students how to use their problem-solving skills to address real problems and make an impact with their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Read on to learn how students in both Community Problem Solving and Global Issues Problem Solving Competitions have worked together in each of the FPSPI age divisions Junior (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12) to tackle real-world issues.

Community Problem Solving 2021:

In the Community Problem Solving Competition, students solved prevalent problems in their communities, focusing on topics such as civic and cultural issues, education, environment, and health. After identifying their focus, they conducted research, met with local professionals and authorities, and created a plan to combat the issue and create a positive impact. Take a look at the 2021 winners in each division below for examples of how students of all ages are fostering change in their communities.

Junior Division Grand Champion: Project Food Waste Champs

Taylor Elementary, Texas

After noticing the amount of food waste in their elementary school cafeteria, these students researched the amount of food wasted each year worldwide and its negative environmental effects. After looking at ways they could confront this problem, Project Food Waste Champs decided on a school-wide composting program.

Middle School Division Grand Champion: HOPE

William H. Galvin Middle School, Massachusetts

Inspired by seeing their peers affected by the spread of COVID-19, HOPE confronts the lack of meaningful social interaction that children have experienced during the pandemic. HOPE, or Helping Out People on Edge, brings this mission to life by organizing both virtual and in-person events where kids can reconnect and have fun.

Senior Division Grand Champion: BY2 Be Yourself Brand Yourself

Matanzas High School, Florida

Knowing that most colleges and universities want a holistic look at their applicants and can often choose to accept or decline admission based on a student’s social media posts, BY2 set out with the goal to help high school students understand how to create a positive and useful social media presence. Through classes, flyers, PSAs, and more, BY2 is dedicated to helping their peers be accepted into their dream schools and get a safe and healthy handle on social media use.

Global Issues Problem Solving 2021:

In the Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS), students think creatively about the future and must apply a six-step creative problem-solving process to a given research topic. All of these winners in the Junior Division looked at the topic of neurotechnology treatments, procedures, and potential side effects. After being given 4 example scenarios of how brain implants have affected patients, students have to identify an underlying problem and develop an action plan for future use of the neurotechnology. Winners in this category looked at the issues from the perspective of education, ethics, law and order, physical health, social relationships, ethics and religion, business and commerce, and more.

Problem Solving and Entrepreneurship

After looking at these impressive solutions to real-world problems, you still may ask: what does problem solving have to do with entrepreneurship? Well, the two are inherently intertwined: entrepreneurs exist to solve problems for their customers. Similar to how these FPSPI winners analyzed a problem and gave detailed solutions, entrepreneurs assess issues affecting a group of people and devise a profitable solution to help them.

Learn more about how you can use Future Problem Solving International’s tools for problem solvers in future entrepreneurship endeavors and competitions in our upcoming webinar, Entrepreneurial Problem Solving, on April 12 at 6pm EST. High school students, parents, and educators can register at the following link: https://www.competitionsciences.org/product/entrepreneurial-problem-solving-workshop/

We’ve long known that participating in academic competitions helps students build knowledge and skills that they can carry with them long after they’ve graduated. Competing in a challenge can inspire a sense of internal motivation, teach young people how to better cope with stress and fear of failure, and introduce them to new passions and interests they never knew they had.

Additionally, there are many academic competitions that offer awards like scholarships, internships, and networking resources to help students land their dream career, start their own business, or pursue higher education opportunities.

With so many varied personal and professional benefits, we have compiled this list of five different academic competitions that can help set your student up for a life of professional fulfillment and success.

Free to Apply

Rise is an academic competition built to support community and globally minded students as they pursue a future in social entrepreneurship or activism. The program is open to high school students around the world.

Rise’s Global Winners receive comprehensive, personalized, lifetime support, although anyone who simply applies is automatically able join the Rise global network, which connects students to global leaders, career opportunities, and free online courses.

Awards for Global Winners include a fully funded, three-week residential summit, mentoring and career support, virtual and in-person leadership and educational courses, a four-year scholarship to any accredited university, and a technology package. The lifelong nature of Rise support also enables Global Winners to access graduate-level scholarships, program and internship matching services, and ongoing funding opportunities!

YouthBiz Stars Business Competition

Ages 6-21 in the state of Colorado

The YouthBiz Stars Business Competition is a Colorado-specific competition for young entrepreneurs. Students compete in age brackets: ages 6-11, ages 12-15, and ages 16-21, for the chance to win up to $5,000 and a partnership with a leading business owner from the Colorado community!

This local entrepreneurship competition is an amazing way for students to get an early start at running their own businesses, as well as learn from experienced entrepreneurs in their home state.

The Conrad Challenge is a competition centered around purpose-driven innovation. This challenge calls upon students to use their creative and entrepreneurial abilities and apply science and technology concepts to help solve global issues.

Perfect for students with STEM-related interests, the Conrad Challenge provides step-by-step guidance and support from industry experts to help students build the essential collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills they will need in their careers.

The Conrad Challenge is comprised of three rounds: the investor pitch, the business plan, and the Innovation Summit and virtual finals. Teams must consist of two to five students; however, teammates can collaborate virtually and do not have to live in the same area – allowing students to make new friends with peers that share their academic interests!

All finalists are invited to the Innovation Summit event, where they can take part in workshops, tours, community sessions, live pitching, and other unique events. Winning teams receive scholarships, patent assistance, and other services to fine-tune their innovations and create companies or license their IP.

High School Math Students

Free to Register

The Modeling the Future Challenge combines math modeling, risk analysis, and data analysis into an academic competition – challenging students to predict the future!

Devised by The Actuarial Foundation, The Modeling the Future Challenge offers semi-finalist teams the opportunity to take part in mentoring with a professional actuary and gain firsthand experience with the Actuarial Process. Students with an interest in mathematics, finance, economics, or statistics may find the challenge particularly helpful in introducing them to new career options.

Winners take home their share of the $60,000 scholarship pool, and all finalist teams leave with lasting connections in the actuarial career field – which boasts a six-figure median pay and a projected job growth of 24% over the next decade!

High School Students – with Some Challenges and Events Open to College Students.

Nationally recognized for their alignment with US Curriculum Standards, DECA runs competitive events in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism.

DECA’s evaluates students with both a written component, such as an exam or report, and an interactive component with an industry professional serving as a judge. With a central goal of motivating students to achieve career and college readiness, DECA is a great fit for achievers in all business sectors.

DECA runs various challenges with different objectives and awards, so you can find the best fit for your student. Scholarships are also available through DECA.

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Competitions

NYFPS competitions offer students the opportunity to showcase their academic achievement. Standard classroom content may not adequately challenge and draw out the full potential of every student. Through competition students broaden their knowledge base, learn the value of teamwork, build relationships with like-minded peers, and develop new skillsets for success beyond the classroom. Challenge and reward your students!

New York Student Competitions

Each school year, New York students compete in three competitive components: Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS), Community Problem Solving (CmPS), and Scenario Writing (SW). Each component is comprised of three divisions based on their school grade level. Participants only compete against peers in their respective divisions. Competitors in GIPS also compete in the Presentation of Action Plan (PoAP) event in which winning participants are awarded first through third place, but the results at the state level for this event does not determine qualification for advancement to the international competition. GIPS teams that are invited to the international competition will compete in its PoAP event. Click on the competitive components below to learn more about the details and requirement for each:

Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS)

Community problem solving (cmps), scenario writing (sw).

JUNIOR DIVISION

(Grades 4 - 6)

MIDDLE DIVISION

(Grades 7 - 9)

SENIOR DIVISION

(Grades 10 - 12)

Gr 4                                Gr 7                                  Gr 10                           Gr 12

Mark you calendars.

The competitive season can be fast paced when you are not paying attention. There are important dates for registration and NYFPS' competitive components submission. The competition schedule includes exciting events such as the New York State Conference and International Conference for which participants need to plan ahead accordingly.

Competitive Season  Calendar 

Competition events.

New York students in NYFPS' competitive components can look forward to three events each school year:

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

New York Qualifying Round

GIPS competitors complete two practice problem rounds to hone their skills and receive valuable feedback from evaluators. In this third round, students put their best foot forward as the submissions are ranked. The top five performing GIPS competitors in their respective divisions are invited to compete in the New York State Conference. All CmPS and SW competitors who have successfully submitted their entries also receive invitations to the New York State Conference. 

Qualifying Round Highlights:

GIPS Packet Completion

Students complete their packets online for qualification to attend the State Conference.

CmPS Submission

CmPS projects are submitted for evaluation ahead of the State Conference.

Scenario Writing Submission

Scenario writers send their stories for evaluation ahead of the State Conference.

New York State Conference

Every March, FPSers who were invited during the Qualifying Round, compete at the New York State Conference. The event is an exciting opportunity for students to meet their peers from across New York. Recent State Conferences venues have included Tompkins Square Middle School, Iona Preparatory School, Molloy College, and Freeport High School.

State Conference Highlights:

GIPS State Competition

GIPS competitors apply the problem solving skills they learned and practiced all year.

Alumni Speakers

Alumni discuss their experiences and share insight into how they use FPS in their careers.

Student Presenters

Student attendees engage the audience about the Annual Topics and NYFPS news.

Social Lunch

Attendees have lunch with other New Yorker problem solvers and make new friends.

CmPS competitors tell attendees about how they tackled issues in their communities.

Skit Performances

GIPS competitors perform their PoAP in front of an audience and evaluators.

Icebreaker Activities

Participants network with other New Yorker problem solvers and make new friends.

Awards Ceremony

Competitors are recognized in an award ceremony for their hard work and achievements.

International Conference

Champions from the NY State Conference will represent the state at the five day event every June. Attendees meet FPSers from different states and countries. The event is held at the campus of a U.S. university. Recent venues have included UMass Amherst, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and Michigan State University.

International Conference Highlights:

Flags Ceremony

Flags along with national anthems of countries and states represented at IC are celebrated. 

CmPS projects from across the globe are displayed and presented to attendees.

Momentos Exchange

Attendees from around the world exchange unique souvenirs to bring memories back home.

Senior Forum

High school student leaders come together to discuss and share ideas to improve FPS.

GIPS Competitions

Competitors put their problem solving skills to the test against peers from around the world.

Variety Show

Attendees from more than one state or country practice and perform together in a talent show.

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What Is Creative Problem-Solving & Why Is It Important?

• 01 Feb 2022

One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown. Business leaders can overcome this barrier by mobilizing creative team members and providing space to innovate.

There are several tools you can use to encourage creativity in the workplace. Creative problem-solving is one of them, which facilitates the development of innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Here’s an overview of creative problem-solving and why it’s important in business.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Creative Problem-Solving?

Research is necessary when solving a problem. But there are situations where a problem’s specific cause is difficult to pinpoint. This can occur when there’s not enough time to narrow down the problem’s source or there are differing opinions about its root cause.

In such cases, you can use creative problem-solving , which allows you to explore potential solutions regardless of whether a problem has been defined.

Creative problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes and encourages exploring open-ended solutions. It also focuses on developing new perspectives and fostering creativity in the workplace . Its benefits include:

• Finding creative solutions to complex problems : User research can insufficiently illustrate a situation’s complexity. While other innovation processes rely on this information, creative problem-solving can yield solutions without it.
• Adapting to change : Business is constantly changing, and business leaders need to adapt. Creative problem-solving helps overcome unforeseen challenges and find solutions to unconventional problems.
• Fueling innovation and growth : In addition to solutions, creative problem-solving can spark innovative ideas that drive company growth. These ideas can lead to new product lines, services, or a modified operations structure that improves efficiency.

Creative problem-solving is traditionally based on the following key principles :

1. Balance Divergent and Convergent Thinking

Creative problem-solving uses two primary tools to find solutions: divergence and convergence. Divergence generates ideas in response to a problem, while convergence narrows them down to a shortlist. It balances these two practices and turns ideas into concrete solutions.

2. Reframe Problems as Questions

By framing problems as questions, you shift from focusing on obstacles to solutions. This provides the freedom to brainstorm potential ideas.

3. Defer Judgment of Ideas

When brainstorming, it can be natural to reject or accept ideas right away. Yet, immediate judgments interfere with the idea generation process. Even ideas that seem implausible can turn into outstanding innovations upon further exploration and development.

4. Focus on "Yes, And" Instead of "No, But"

Using negative words like "no" discourages creative thinking. Instead, use positive language to build and maintain an environment that fosters the development of creative and innovative ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking

Whereas creative problem-solving facilitates developing innovative ideas through a less structured workflow, design thinking takes a far more organized approach.

Design thinking is a human-centered, solutions-based process that fosters the ideation and development of solutions. In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar leverages a four-phase framework to explain design thinking.

The four stages are:

• Clarify: The clarification stage allows you to empathize with the user and identify problems. Observations and insights are informed by thorough research. Findings are then reframed as problem statements or questions.
• Ideate: Ideation is the process of coming up with innovative ideas. The divergence of ideas involved with creative problem-solving is a major focus.
• Develop: In the development stage, ideas evolve into experiments and tests. Ideas converge and are explored through prototyping and open critique.
• Implement: Implementation involves continuing to test and experiment to refine the solution and encourage its adoption.

Creative problem-solving primarily operates in the ideate phase of design thinking but can be applied to others. This is because design thinking is an iterative process that moves between the stages as ideas are generated and pursued. This is normal and encouraged, as innovation requires exploring multiple ideas.

Creative Problem-Solving Tools

While there are many useful tools in the creative problem-solving process, here are three you should know:

Creating a Problem Story

One way to innovate is by creating a story about a problem to understand how it affects users and what solutions best fit their needs. Here are the steps you need to take to use this tool properly.

1. Identify a UDP

Create a problem story to identify the undesired phenomena (UDP). For example, consider a company that produces printers that overheat. In this case, the UDP is "our printers overheat."

2. Move Forward in Time

To move forward in time, ask: “Why is this a problem?” For example, minor damage could be one result of the machines overheating. In more extreme cases, printers may catch fire. Don't be afraid to create multiple problem stories if you think of more than one UDP.

3. Move Backward in Time

To move backward in time, ask: “What caused this UDP?” If you can't identify the root problem, think about what typically causes the UDP to occur. For the overheating printers, overuse could be a cause.

Following the three-step framework above helps illustrate a clear problem story:

• The printer is overused.
• The printer overheats.
• The printer breaks down.

You can extend the problem story in either direction if you think of additional cause-and-effect relationships.

4. Break the Chains

By this point, you’ll have multiple UDP storylines. Take two that are similar and focus on breaking the chains connecting them. This can be accomplished through inversion or neutralization.

• Inversion: Inversion changes the relationship between two UDPs so the cause is the same but the effect is the opposite. For example, if the UDP is "the more X happens, the more likely Y is to happen," inversion changes the equation to "the more X happens, the less likely Y is to happen." Using the printer example, inversion would consider: "What if the more a printer is used, the less likely it’s going to overheat?" Innovation requires an open mind. Just because a solution initially seems unlikely doesn't mean it can't be pursued further or spark additional ideas.
• Neutralization: Neutralization completely eliminates the cause-and-effect relationship between X and Y. This changes the above equation to "the more or less X happens has no effect on Y." In the case of the printers, neutralization would rephrase the relationship to "the more or less a printer is used has no effect on whether it overheats."

Even if creating a problem story doesn't provide a solution, it can offer useful context to users’ problems and additional ideas to be explored. Given that divergence is one of the fundamental practices of creative problem-solving, it’s a good idea to incorporate it into each tool you use.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a tool that can be highly effective when guided by the iterative qualities of the design thinking process. It involves openly discussing and debating ideas and topics in a group setting. This facilitates idea generation and exploration as different team members consider the same concept from multiple perspectives.

Hosting brainstorming sessions can result in problems, such as groupthink or social loafing. To combat this, leverage a three-step brainstorming method involving divergence and convergence :

• Have each group member come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down to ensure the brainstorming session is productive.
• Continue the divergence of ideas by collectively sharing and exploring each idea as a group. The goal is to create a setting where new ideas are inspired by open discussion.
• Begin the convergence of ideas by narrowing them down to a few explorable options. There’s no "right number of ideas." Don't be afraid to consider exploring all of them, as long as you have the resources to do so.

Alternate Worlds

The alternate worlds tool is an empathetic approach to creative problem-solving. It encourages you to consider how someone in another world would approach your situation.

For example, if you’re concerned that the printers you produce overheat and catch fire, consider how a different industry would approach the problem. How would an automotive expert solve it? How would a firefighter?

Be creative as you consider and research alternate worlds. The purpose is not to nail down a solution right away but to continue the ideation process through diverging and exploring ideas.

Continue Developing Your Skills

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader, learning the ropes of design thinking can be an effective way to build your skills and foster creativity and innovation in any setting.

If you're ready to develop your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills, explore Design Thinking and Innovation , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

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Competitive Event Samples

Sample Skill Event Scenarios: 

• Biomedical Laboratory Science
• CERT Skills
• Clinical Nursing
• CPR / First Aid
• Dental Science
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Home Health Aide
• Life Support Skills
• Life Threatening Situations
• Medical Assisting
• Nursing Assisting
• Personal Care
• Pharmacy Science
• Physical Therapy
• Sports Medicine
• Veterinary Science

Clinical Specialty

• Clinical Specialty Sample 1
• Clinical Specialty Sample 2
• Clinical Specialty Sample 3
• Clinical Specialty Video Sample 1
• Clinical Specialty Video Sample 2
• Clinical Specialty Video Sample 3

Community Awareness

• Community Awareness SS Sample 1
• Community Awareness SS Sample 2
• Community Awareness PS/C Sample 3
• Community Awareness Video Sample 1
• Community Awareness Video Sample 2
• Community Awareness Video Sample 3

Creative Problem Solving 

• ​ Creative Problem Solving Sample 1
• Creative Problem Solving Sample 2
• Creative Problem Solving Sample 3

Extemporaneous Health Poster

Extemporaneous Writing:

Health Career Display:

• HCD Video Sample 1
• HCD Video Sample 2

Health Career  Photography Samples

Health Education:

• Health Education MS Sample 1
• Health Education MS Sample 2
• Health Education SS Sample 3
• Health Education SS Sample 4
• Health Education PS Sample 5
• Health Education Video Sample 1
• Health Education Video Sample 2
• Health Education Video Sample 3

Healthy Lifestyle  Goals and Motivations

Medical Innovation

• Medical Innovation Video Sample 1
• Medical Innovation Video Sample 2
• Medical Innovation Video Sample 3

Exploring Medical Innovation

• EMI Sample 1
• EMI Sample 2

Medical Reserve Corps

• MRC Sample 1
• MRC Sample 2
• MRC Video Sample 1
• MRC Video Sample 2
• MRC Video Sample 3

Parliamentary Procedure

• Parliamentary Procedure Sample 1
• Parliamentary Procedure Sample 2

Prepared Speaking

• Prepared Speaking Sample 1
• Prepared Speaking Sample 2
• Prepared Speaking Sample 3

Public Health

• PH SS Video Sample 1
• PH SS Video Sample 2
• PH MS Video Sample  3

Public Service Announcement

• PSA SS Sample 1
• PSA SS Sample 2
• PSA SS Sample 3
• PSA PSC Sample 4

Researched Persuasive Writing and Speaking: 

• Researched Persuasive Writing and Speaking SS Sample 1
• Researched Persuasive Writing and Speaking SS Sample 2
• Researched Persuasive Writing and Speaking SS Sample 3
• Researched Persuasive Writing and Speaking PSC Sample 4
• Researched Persuasive Writing and Speaking PSC Sample 5
• RPS Video Sample 1
• RPS Video Sample 2
• RPS Video Sample 3  

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