international future problem solving 2022

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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

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

5 Global Issues to Watch in 2022

By Kaysie Brown on December 21, 2021

At Mawlana Hatefi school for girls in Afghanistan, only grades 1 to 6 have returned to learning. Photo: Sayed Bidel /UNICEF

Our Vice President for Policy and Strategic Initiatives unpacks five key global issues to watch in 2022, laying out both the challenges and opportunities of global cooperation in ensuring an equitable, sustainable global response and recovery.

As if 2020 and 2021 weren’t unpredictable and challenging enough, there is no doubt that 2022 will be another year of tests: from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to worsening climate impacts, devastating humanitarian crises, and the continued unraveling of hard-won gains on everything from curbing poverty to closing the gender divide. The coming year will also test our commitment and resolve in our ability to galvanize and build trust within and across communities to address the multitude of challenges that demand we work together.

In the year ahead, here are five key issues to watch.

1. Covid-19 response and recovery remain paramount

As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the remarkable speed at which vaccines were developed and the rapid design and implementation of revolutionary new partnership models — including the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and its COVAX pillar — to ensure equitable access to tests, treatments, and vaccines. And yet this year was another cautionary tale for us all. Instead of global solidarity led by science, we saw slow and fragmented action, tepid leadership, and geopolitical infighting. These realities hindered our collective ability to prevent and slow the Delta and Omicron variants, get shots in arms, and protect the world’s most vulnerable people. As a result, reported cases of COVID-19 have surged to more than 270 million people worldwide, and the death toll has surpassed 5 million — though we know the real tolls are far higher.

2022 must be the year that we close the massive gaps in the global pandemic response and meet the global target of getting 70% of people in every country vaccinated by midyear. Without meeting this goal, we are resigning ourselves to a vicious cycle. To meet this target, we need to tackle the vexing persistence of vaccine inequality head-on. While 66% of people in high-income countries had had at least one dose in arms as of Dec. 15 , only 9% in low-income countries had. Marshaling high-level leadership of this response will be paramount.

Source: UN Development Programme

This pandemic has also cast the importance of people-centric health systems into sharp relief, which will be an increasingly important topic of focus as the world community looks ahead to the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in 2023. So, too, will be strengthening collective capacities on prevention, preparedness, and response to future health threats through new financing instruments, surveillance and detection, and new partnerships to battle dis- and misinformation, for example. On financing, there will be several replenishments and financing needs for the world to contend with, including for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). More broadly, and looking ahead to building deeper and sustained reforms, countries have agreed to start negotiations on a new agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response that will begin in earnest in 2022.

"Government leaders this year talked about the need to tackle this pandemic and be better prepared for the next one, but continue to not put in the commensurate political and financing muscle to ensure it." Kate Dodson Vice President for Global Health, UN Foundation

2. Poverty reduction, the promise of leaving no one behind, and the sdgs

Even before the onset of COVID-19, the world needed a much more ambitious focus to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on our collective efforts to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and create a more prosperous and healthy planet for all. Essential health services continue to be severely disrupted, millions of people have lost their jobs, childhood education opportunities are interrupted or have disappeared, and inequality has worsened.

A devastating number of people have slid back into poverty, reversing gains that had been made over the past decade. It is projected that between 100 million and 150 million individuals were pushed back into extreme poverty in 2021 as a result of the compounding effects of COVID-19. Many of these people live in fragile, conflict-prone, climate-risk environments, making the nature of the challenge even harder. Countries that are bearing the greatest burdens and setbacks are those least able to respond due to limited domestic resources and high debt burdens.

While the SDGs provide a framework for action, much more is needed to rally global political commitment, accelerate sustainable financing, and ensure that we are living true to the promise of leaving no one behind. On extreme poverty, January kicks off with a conference dedicated to helping Least Developed Countries deliver on the SDGs and will be an important agenda-setting moment for the year to come. This comes shortly after countries came together in December to replenish the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank fund aimed at helping the poorest countries.

2022 also marks the halfway point to the 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs. That means the way forward requires tapping into and working with the best of what different actors have to offer, from local governments to CEOs, universities, and community foundations. It also requires a better understanding of how to achieve global transformations needed to meet the SDGs. Over the next year, a group of scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General will prepare the next Global Sustainable Development Report , due to be released in 2023, which will help ground approaches in scientific evidence.

"2022 also marks the halfway point to the 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs. That means the way forward requires tapping into and working with the best of what different actors have to offer, from local governments to CEOs, universities, and community foundations." Kaysie Brown Vice President for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, UN Foundation

2022 is also an opportunity to deepen the base of support for the basic principles and approaches of the SDGs — for people and planet, and applicable to high- and low-income countries alike. It will also provide an opportunity to connect local solutions and tools to this global agenda and to propel greater focus on ensuring that we are recovering better and more sustainably for all.

3. accelerating climate ambition, impact, and accountability

This year saw the most anticipated UN Climate Change Conference (COP) since countries met in 2015 to negotiate the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C over preindustrial levels. An important element of the Paris Agreement is a ratchet mechanism to ensure that actors come back to the table every five years to put forward more ambitious climate goals and to keep the promise of Paris on track. It was against this backdrop — albeit with a one-year delay due to the global pandemic — that the world community met in Glasgow, Scotland, at COP26, serving as a significant deadline and test to see how and whether leaders would step up.

There, certain progress was made. Many countries raised their ambitions. New pledges and multistakeholder coalitions were forged to address methane gas pollution, deforestation, coal financing, and shipping, among other issues. The U.S. and China put aside their differences and agreed to boost cooperation around combating climate change in the years ahead. Private sector actors and the investor community continued to make bold commitments to reach net-zero, balancing off new greenhouse gas emissions with an equivalent amount of emissions removed from the atmosphere. And evidence demonstrates that the ambition and action we need to avert a climate catastrophe is starting to build.

But we are nowhere near where we need to be to meet the promise of the Paris Agreement. Commitments made at COP26 were decidedly incremental, and glaring gaps were revealed around financing, support for those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the overall level of ambition and urgency that the nature of the crisis demands.

2022 will be a year to keep laser focus on building greater ambition and accountability. It will face some serious headwinds. Carbon emissions rebounded in 2021, despite a slowing economy amid an unrelenting pandemic. Extreme weather events accelerated, and biodiversity loss is taking place at alarming speed. 2022 may see record-setting global demand for coal and with that record-high greenhouse gas emissions, as well as woefully insufficient green COVID-19 recovery policies and programs to ensure a more sustainable and equitable future.

At COP27, to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, countries will be asked to return — not five years later as originally agreed but one year after Glasgow — with updated climate pledges to push for faster action . Greater attention must be placed on adaptation and finance and finding ways to ramp up developed economies’ support for countries most threatened by climate change and facing irreparable losses, including small island developing states. Transparent and robust accountability has to be the name of the game in translating the plethora of net-zero pledges into results from governments, subnational actors, and the private sector alike. Propelling greater action of these sector-based coalitions, including around methane, food systems , and transportation, will be an important marker, as will ensuring a successful outcome to the Convention on Biological Diversity negotiations to put stronger targets into place and plans and policies to prevent the catastrophic destruction of our forests, plants, animals, and ecosystems.

"The clock to COP27 next year in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, is already ticking. There is no time to lose." Pete Ogden Vice President for Climate, Energy and the Environment, UN Foundation

4. Propelling Urgent action on gender equality and the rights of girls and women

The world is all too aware of the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on girls and women, as well as the pervasive and systemic challenges that prevent progress on closing the gender rights and opportunity gaps, and the impacts of shrinking civic society space on local and global women’s movements. But there are also rays of light on an otherwise dim horizon: a vibrant and powerful group of dedicated actors across geographies and sectors are working, against the odds and on the right side of history, to make gender equality a reality.

Two historic Generation Equality Forums (GEF) , held in Mexico City and Paris in 2021, mobilized more than $40 billion of pledged commitments from governments, civil society, youth activities, and the private sector to accelerate gender equality. In 2022, these commitments to issues ranging from economic justice and rights to feminist movements and leadership, will need to be translated into action. That means building bridges across communities and issue areas, such as climate. It also means continuing to model a new form of multistakeholder engagement and feminist multilateralism, leveraging the strength and energy of youth leaders, the corporate sector, and dedicated national governments, among others.

Scene from the Opening Session of the Generation Equality Forum, held in Paris, France on June 30, 2021. Photo: Fabrice Gentile /UN Women

Turning promises into action necessitates clear and usable accountability mechanisms that can stand the test of time, and learning from and building off good models and practices. For example , certain companies have been increasingly outpacing governments when it comes to setting and implementing policies to advance gender equality. From standardizing equal pay, offering paid parental leave, and advancing women’s leadership, the business community is making strides for women in the workplace.

But this also demands dedicating resources and attention to critical areas of focus. On this, the WithHer Fund — a funding vehicle created by The Spotlight Initiative and UN Foundation — is worth watching. By walking the talk with its funding criteria and principles rooted in feminist grantmaking, this new fund will provide resources directly to grassroots women’s organizations around the world fighting gender-based violence (GBV) in their local communities, especially as they navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"For decades, tireless and tested activists have shown us that we must back strong, independent, women’s rights movements to eliminate violence against girls and women. Now, the broader funding and advocacy community is beginning to invest in these." Michelle Milford Morse Vice President for Girls and Women Strategy, UN Foundation

5. growing humanitarian crises and conflicts

The world is facing unprecedented levels of humanitarian need. In 2022, 274 million people are expected to need humanitarian aid, an almost 20% increase from already record high numbers in 2021. Digging into the data reveals a number of troubling trends: increases in forced displacement, more people on the edge of acute famine, the concentration of the vaccine inequity reality, increased intersections between issues like climate and hunger with conflict, a rise in authoritarianism, and a surge in conflict and violence.

In Afghanistan alone, approximately 5 million more people will require assistance than in 2021. Likewise, the growing conflict in Ethiopia is expected to place an additional 5 million people in need of assistance. This correlates with increased funding requirements at a time when the financing gaps around humanitarian assistance are widening. If trends continue, the scale of the response will fall far short of the need.

The crises and conflicts that are a significant driver of humanitarian need cannot be kept neatly inside national borders, making a central purpose of the founding of the UN — to prevent conflict — harder than ever. This demands greater global cooperation to better understand and resolve conflicts and to reduce suffering of civilians who increasingly find themselves in the crosshairs. Thankfully, research shows that investments in prevention and peacekeeping not only work, but pay dividends.

2022 will be an important year for the UN and the wider global community to rally resources and policies around reducing insecurity and halting the disturbing trends around hunger and conflict. Peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Mali will continue to dominate attention, and uncertainty around Afghanistan and Ethiopia will remain top of mind. The UN will also be engaged in numerous discussions aimed at responding to current and future needs. A high-level meeting on sustainable financing for peacebuilding will take place, identifying new approaches and methods to ensure that these critical tools and instruments have the requisite funding. The Secretary-General will provide a report on future directions for peace operations transitions. And the UN will continue to develop new approaches around issues such as the role of digital technologies in peacekeeping as well as climate and security.

the stakes for the year ahead

Earlier this year, the Secretary-General laid out his vision statement for his second term, underscoring the stakes of the current moment: “The choices we make now will determine our trajectory for decades to come.” That reality, and the urgency and acceleration of the challenges and opportunities before us, were the impetus behind the recently released Our Common Agenda report, which makes the case for stronger action and more networked and inclusive global cooperation to deliver against the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. In that call, it recognized the critical role of youth leaders in crafting our current policies to ensure a prosperous and peaceful future. 2022 will be the first year of the Secretary-General’s second term and will mark an opportunity to deliver on his vision, against the backdrop of global crises that underscore the necessity of international cooperation.

We have our work cut out for us: sharpened geopolitical divisions, accelerating climate risks, unrelenting domestic demands, and the real prospect of a two-track COVID-19 recovery ushering in a two-track world.

Yet we also see space for finding common ground in some areas, including on major global threats of our time like COVID-19 and the climate crisis. Of course, distrust is on the rise as well as the battle over values and norms, but failure to deliver will only further feed disillusionment.

Heading into another year of the pandemic, it can seem difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But 2022 offers important opportunities to ensure that we make real progress in achieving a more equitable, prosperous, healthier world. Will we take them?

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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As the world’s only truly universal global organization, the United Nations has become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.

To its initial goals of safeguarding peace, protecting human rights, establishing the framework for international justice and promoting economic and social progress, in the seven decades since its creation the United Nations has added on new challenges, such as AIDS, big data and climate change.

While conflict resolution and peacekeeping continue to be among its most visible efforts, the UN, along with its specialized agencies, is also engaged in a wide array of activities to improve people’s lives around the world – from disaster relief, through education and advancement of women, to peaceful uses of atomic energy.

This section offers an overview of some of these issues, and links to other resources, where you can get additional information.

The UN system plays a crucial role in coordinating assistance of all kinds — to help Africa help itself.  From promoting the development of democratic institutions, to the establishment of peace between warring nations, the UN is present on the ground supporting economic and social development and the promotion and protection of human rights.

The world’s population is ageing: virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population. The number of older persons, those aged 60 years or over, has increased substantially in recent years in most countries and regions, and that growth is projected to accelerate in the coming decades.

HIV infections have been reduced by 59% since the peak in 1995, (by 58% among children since 2010) and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 69% since the peak in 2004 and by 51% since 2010. Globally 46% of all new HIV infections were among women and girls in 2022. The UN family has been in the vanguard of this progress.

Atomic Energy

More than 30 countries worldwide are operating 413 nuclear reactors for electricity generation and 58 new nuclear plants are under construction. By the end of 2022, 12 countries relied on nuclear energy to supply at least one-quarter of their total electricity.

Big Data for Sustainable Development

The volume of data in the world is increasing exponentially. New sources of data, new technologies, and new analytical approaches, if applied responsibly, can allow to better monitor progress toward achievement of the SDGs in a way that is both inclusive and fair.

Child and Youth Safety Online

Rising Internet connectivity has the potential to transform children and young people’s lives for the better, but also makes them vulnerable to sexual abuse, cyberbullying, and other risks. The UN is actively working to protect children and youth online through various programmes and initiatives.

Every child has the right to health, education and protection, and every society has a stake in expanding children’s opportunities in life. Yet, around the world, millions of children are denied a fair chance for no reason other than the country, gender or circumstances into which they are born.

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. 

• Decolonization

The wave of decolonization, which changed the face of the planet, was born with the UN and represents the world body’s first great success. As a result of decolonization many countries became independent and joined the UN.

Democracy is a universally recognized ideal and is one of the core values and principles of the United Nations. Democracy provides an environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights.

Disarmament

Since the birth of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security.

Ending Poverty

At current rates of progress, the world is unlikely to meet the global goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, with estimates suggesting that nearly 600 million people will still be living in extreme poverty.

The world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger by 2030. The food security and nutritional status of the most vulnerable population groups is likely to deteriorate further due to the health and socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gender Equality

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development.

The United Nations, since its inception, has been actively involved in promoting and protecting good health worldwide. Leading that effort within the UN system is the World Health Organization (WHO), whose constitution came into force on 7 April 1948.

Promoting respect for human rights is a core purpose of the United Nations and defines its identity as an organization for people around the world. Member States have mandated the Secretary-General and the UN System to help them achieve the standards set out in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .

International Law and Justice

The UN continues to promote justice and international law across its three pillars of work: international peace and security, economic and social progress and development, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

International migration

Since the earliest times, humanity has been on the move. Today, more people than ever before live in a country other than the one in which they were born.

Oceans and the Law of the Sea

Life itself arose from the oceans. The ocean is vast, some 72 per cent of the earth's surface. Not only has the oceans always been a prime source of nourishment for the life it helped generate, but from earliest recorded history it has served for trade and commerce, adventure and discovery.

Saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war was the main motivation for creating the United Nations, whose founders lived through the devastation of two world wars.

In 1950, five years after the founding of the United Nations, world population was estimated at around 2.6 billion people. It reached 5 billion in 1987 and 6 in 1999. In October 2011, the global population was estimated to be 7 billion.

There were 110 million people forcibly displaced world-wide at the end of June 2023. Among those were 36.4 million refugees, (30.5 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate, and 5.94 million Palestine refugees under UNRWA's mandate). ;

Fresh water sustains human life and is vital for human health. There is enough fresh water for everyone on Earth. However, due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, millions of people (most of them children) die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

As youth are increasingly demanding more just, equitable and progressive opportunities and solutions in their societies, the need to address the multifaceted challenges faced by young people (such as access to education, health, employment and gender equality) have become more pressing than ever.

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible pp 591–602 Cite as

Future Problem Solving

• Connie Phelps 2  
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Future Problem Solving (FPS) engages students in futuristic thinking through annual academic competitions at local, state, regional, and international levels. Hosted through Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI), its mission develops the ability of young people globally to design and achieve positive futures through problem solving using critical and creative thinking . Founded by E. Paul Torrance in 1974, the education program uses a six-step Problem Solving Model based on the Osborne-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model. E. Paul Torrance promoted positive futures through the construct of creative problem solving. Organized geographically as local FPSPI affiliates, participants select one of four competition components that include Global Issues Problem Solving, Community Problem Solving, Scenario Writing, and Scenario Performance. Students prepare annual topics throughout the school year with qualifying competitions leading to the next level. At the end of the school year, a four-day International Conference (IC) hosts champions during a culminating competition organized as Junior (grades 4–6), Middle (grades 7–9), and Senior (grades 10–12) divisions. Participants address a Future Scene as a hypothetical situation set 20–30 years in the future such as Antibiotic Resistance (2022) and Neurotechnology (2021), and participants receive constructive feedback from trained evaluators. The Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) component challenges participants to design positive futures, apply the six-step Problem Solving Model, and create a detailed Action Plan. Possible futures emerge as participants (1) Identify Challenges, (2) Select an Underlying Problem, (3) Produce Solution Ideas, (4) Generate and Select Criteria, (5) Apply Criteria, and (6) Develop an Action Plan.

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Phelps, C. (2022). Future Problem Solving. In: Glăveanu, V.P. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90913-0_262

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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 Program International’s (FPSPI) Hybrid International Conference will host over 1,800 champion problem-solvers from around the globe. The Opening Ceremony on June 9th, 2022 will kick off this annual event. These 4th-12th grade students have displayed futuristic thinking and the creative problem-solving skills; local and national qualifying competitions earned them a coveted invitation to the conference. This year two Pakistani students Ahmed Wahab Khalid, A 9th grader from Beaconhouse School System, Kharian and Ayleen Sheikh from TNS Beaconhouse, Lahore in Grade 11 have qualified for the International Conference.

Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) competitors will tackle potential problems set in the near future on this year’s topic Antibiotic Resistance. These teams and individuals must research all aspects of Antibiotic Resistance to be prepared for competitive events where a futuristic scenario will be analyzed and addressed.

For the past two years, the event was held virtually. This year FPS will hold their first hybrid International Conference. Participants will arrive on the campus of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and others will take part virtually. No matter the location, these young leaders, with their enthusiasm and creativity, are ready to tackle the world’s toughest problems. “The problem-solving abilities of our students model the hope and resiliency of our future. We are immensely proud of all the work these students, and their coaches and parents, perform throughout the year. The problem solvers of today will be the change-makers for a better tomorrow!”

FPSPI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1974, has grown into an international academic program, challenging students to think creatively and futuristically. For 47 years, Future Problem Solving Program International has worked to help students develop the critical and creative thinking skills they will need to solve real-world challenges and apply those skills to find solutions that have the potential to bring about positive change. Over 15,000 students officially participated in 2020-21, and hundreds of thousands participate each year as the program also reaches students involved non-competitively in classrooms or after-school programs that use materials to enhance curriculum through critical and creative thinking.

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Tourism not only benefits host locales but those on holiday. Travel enriches their lives, expands their understanding of people and cultures, while also serving as a respite from daily life. The economic stability of such destinations depends on the sustainability of their tourist trade. As the popularity of such destinations grows, international corporations and developers typically flock to these growing places, trying to capitalize on the financial possibilities. There is money to be made in building hotels, restaurants, and in developing an area’s growing tourism industry. As outside groups seek to attract tourists and the revenue they generate, locals often struggle to maintain their location's unique appeal and ability to support local venues. As this build-up occurs, local people can have their cultures exploited, lands destroyed, and their local businesses put in jeopardy. As the tourism sector grows and expands, we are seeing the expansion of the Special Interest (SIT) market - tourists wishing to match their vacations with their interests (e.g., ecotourism, wellness tourism, event tourism, ancestry tourism, etc.). How will changing forms and trends of tourism impact tourists and hosts alike? How can the advantages of expanding tourism be balanced with the protection of destinations?

Today nearly half the world's population lives in an urban area. By 2050, that number is expected to reach 70% due to this increase in Urbanization. Urban areas and their large populations often hold power over governance, economic development, and international connectivity beyond their immediate regions. With proper planning, urban centres can provide educational and economic opportunities to residents not found elsewhere. However, they can also easily give rise to slums and increase income inequality. With growing footprints, cities are also struggling to provide basic needs, essential services, and safety. Future urban planners must address tough questions: What qualities in society should be valued most? What is fair and equitable? Whose interests will be served first? Planners must balance the speed of decision-making with the need for thoughtful, well-considered programs for development. As urban areas expand, how can we develop areas that are efficient, resilient, and inclusive?

Antarctica, the highest, driest, coldest continent, has no permanent population and is governed by a collection of agreements between fifty-four countries. The Antarctic Treaty System designates the entire continent and surrounding waters for scientific endeavours, bans military activity, and promotes environmental research and preservation. Although Antarctica remains the most remote place on Earth, it is highly regulated and heavily impacted by activities around the globe. Parts of the continent are polluted by sewage, discarded machinery, fuel products, and rubbish. Antarctica is thought to be rich in minerals and resources, though an 'indefinite' ban on mining is in place through 2048. Antarctica also holds over 60% of the Earth's fresh water in an ice sheet that contains 90% of the Earth's total ice volume. As global temperatures rise, these are breaking apart and melting faster, endangering local wildlife and entire ecosystems. Without a consistent population or a sovereign state, Antarctica possesses a unique space within political, economic, and environmental crossroads. How can Antarctica be sustainably utilized yet simultaneously preserved to best benefit our global population?

Our transport needs, desires, and realities are rapidly changing due to global growth and increased connectivity. As modes of transportation continue to evolve, increasing levels of complexity and efficiency are pursued. What role will autonomous vehicles, cars, airplanes, ships, etc., which operate without human intervention, play in this pursuit? Their development continues to increase exponentially with advancing technological capabilities. Since all scenarios are not programmable, autonomous vehicles must learn and react. They do this by surveying their environment with multiple sensors and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to process vast amounts of data. Autonomous vehicles can deliver on demand, refuel, park, and store themselves. By creating a network of these vehicles, entire systems of transport could become autonomous, controlled by a central AI. How will the efficiency of autonomous vehicles affect the development of transportation, on land and sea, in the air, and possibly space? How will autonomous transport cope with unexpected risk situations and ethical decisions? In what ways will autonomous transport impact jobs, industries, infrastructure, and lifestyles?

Tourism Urbanisation Antarctica Autonomous Transportation Currency

Tourism Urbanisation Antarctica

Electronic devices are often replaced with the latest version at an alarmingly fast pace. These constant upgrades add to E-Waste significantly impacting the environment and reducing natural resources while consumer demand is being met. Tens of millions of tons of such materials are discarded every year worldwide. Electronic products are full of hazardous substances such as toxic materials and heavy metals that can threaten humans, plants, animals. One method of disposal often employed by developed states is to offload e-waste to low-income countries for resale or demolition. This offloading places developing nations at greater risk of exposure to toxic chemicals and materials. Meanwhile, the high rate of device upgrades in developed countries has significant consequences for both people and the environment. What impact does planned disposal have on the amount of e-waste? What incentives can be developed to promote software upgrades for existing devices? As the appetite for ever-increasing technological devices continues, what are the implications for how we dispose of these devices? How can more effective and ethical responses to recycling and disposal policies be encouraged to protect human life and the global environment in the future.

Technologically, virtual reality is widespread and expanding its application through augmented, enhanced, mixed, and other forms of digital realities. The options and opportunities for its application appear boundless through the integration of 3-D images, gaming, computer-assisted instruction, equipment simulators, and entertainment platforms. The imposition of holographic images over real-world views have applications ranging from education, archaeology, and engineering, to sports training, video games, and artistic expression. The utilization of augmented reality technology is already making significant changes to the manufacturing industry. What other industries will it revolutionize? The inclusion of haptic, visual, and auditory overlays can be both constructive and destructive to users. New opportunities are provided to individuals with disabilities. New treatments are made available to the ill. How will enhanced reality impact human interactions? Digital reality is constantly evolving with advantages for all fields. How will we deal with the fiscal, educational, and psycho-social issues that might arise?

Machines were developed to assist with dangerous and difficult jobs. At present, unskilled human labour is being replaced with robotics more quickly than at any time in history.  Advancements of such machines move technology closer and closer to lights-out manufacturing. In countries with robust national safety nets, these changes are viewed as inevitable, and they have begun to explore new human employment concepts. Robotic workers often provide for human safety as in the case of bomb disposal. Laborers are fearful of how these looming employment changes and uncertain of how their work life will proceed. A robotic workforce's effects go beyond manufacturing as university-trained individuals such as lawyers and accountants are already being impacted by automation. What will the human workforce of the future look like? Will specialized training and education be needed for a combined human and robotic workforce? What will our future work force look like? How will our future economy be impacted by robotics in the workforce?

Consumerism has promoted a 'throw-away' society – one in which people do not keep things for very long, preferring single-use and disposable items. This societal approach leads to overconsumption of short-term items instead of durable goods that can be repaired. Widespread social influencing often encourages people to focus on the consumption, ownership, and display of material possessions to mark an individual's social status, identity, and standing. This impacts the environment, lifestyles, and distribution of wealth. Consumerism stretches the world's limited natural resources. Production is dictated by consumer demand, and businesses try to provide consumers with a growing number of options, including branded goods, to stay afloat. Many products are often fads or are adapted and modified regularly to entice consumers to buy the upgrades despite already having durable ones. Constant upgrades are sought to achieve greater social standing through material possession instead of meaningful acts. How can societies value all their members while allowing for - and encouraging - individual perspectives and desires? What are the appropriate balances between local values and global aspirations for consumers?

E-Waste Digital Realities Robotic Workforce Throw Away Society

E-Waste Digital Realities Robotic Workforce

In many parts of the world, freshwater is in short supply. Water is often pumped for miles, streams diverted and reservoirs and dams are constructed to provide for the growing populations in dry areas. As water levels drop and aquifers decline, people become more concerned about preserving their water resources. More than 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water services, and more than 4 billion lack safely managed sanitation services. Differing governmental and commercial demands must be balanced so that communities have enough safe water for their needs. As available water supplies deplete, adjacent areas begin to battle with water contracts and water rights. How might the right to access clean water be achieved? How will regulations shape the future of access to water? How will water scarcity shape society?

The world is now more urbanized than ever before, and more and more people are flocking to live in large cities. Singapore was once known as the ‘Garden City,’ now it is being promoted as the ‘Garden in the City’ as new buildings incorporate trees and other greenery in their designs. Many quickly growing population centers are more environmentally aware as they expand the living spaces for their citizens. This awareness is not just a case of saving the environment and reducing emissions; it is a matter of necessity for creating healthy cities. Buildings can be designed to conserve both energy and water while improving the indoor and outdoor environment. Advancing technology is changing how architects are incorporating sustainable living practices into buildings. Light-based modulated sunlight, improved insulation, enhanced ventilation, eco-friendly building materials – are a few of the ecologically-preferred innovations changing the face and function of buildings. Some buildings now incorporate wind turbines to provide the necessary energy to power the building. Will these developments solve the problems they have set out to address? Will these change the way cities work and the way people live in them? Will these changes improve safety during natural disasters or introduce new problems?

Insects - human's best friends and worst enemies. We are surrounded by more than a million species of insects. Without them, humankind couldn't survive. Some insects destroy crops and carry diseases. Mosquitoes, which carry diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Ross River, Zika, and West Nile viruses, kill and maim more people each year than any other animal. Others do essential jobs like pollinate blossoms, aerate the soil, decompose dead plant material, or eat other harmful insects, making them essential to the food web. As weather patterns and temperatures change, the distribution and habitat of many insect species are likely to change dramatically. The numbers of bees around the world have been radically reduced due to disease. How does the reduction of some species and relocation of others impact health, agriculture, and horticulture?

Over 1,900 insect species have been identified as suitable for human consumption and animal feed and could assure food security. Incorporating insects into the human food and medical supply indicates the ever-growing importance of insects in the world. Will insects and their products, such as genetically modified mosquitoes or manuka honey help to fight diseases? Will toasted grubs, fried crickets, and other edible insects become important global protein choices?

Mining is a long-standing means of gathering a wide range of resources vital to aspects of everyday life. The growing demands of mined materials continues to see the mining industry expand at an incredible pace. The technologies in use today and projected for the future are more minerals intensive than ever before. While technology has made mining both safer and more environmentally sensitive than any other time in history, environmental and other risks remain. Yet without the collection of these important materials, the cornerstones of society like buildings, machines, and communication would not be possible. With environmental protections varying greatly from country-to-country, how can the world collaborate on the best way to extract and share geological materials? With mining as the foundation of countless communities, how will they be impacted by the changing landscape of mining? In the future, are there new areas that might be mined for resources?

Millions of children around the world participate in competitive youth sports every year. Involvement in organized sports teaches many essential life skills – teamwork, confidence, the value of hard work, and discipline. While some competitive sports promote activity and a healthy lifestyle, others build skills such as mental agility. The hyper-competitiveness of youth sports raises concerns that children are pushed too hard to win and succeed. The sports options for youth are also evolving, as competitive e-sports emerge. Competitive sports can heighten aggression, pressure to win, and put children – who are still growing and developing – at risk for injuries. In many places, increasing costs of club sport-memberships and insurance exclude those who need social interaction and fitness the most. The costs of maintaining and running facilities can also limit the accessibility for youth. How much should we push young people to participate in competitive sports? Do the benefits of structured competition outweigh the costs of over-competitive behavior and possible injury? How does participation in sports impact the well being of youth and their families?

Traditionally, clothing and accessories have all been developed to fill basic needs. They provide warmth, protection from the elements or injury, and even serve to attract attention. Recently, the industry for wearable technology has transformed the way we think about clothing and accessories. Wearables have rapidly expanded to include heating elements, internet connections, watches, body monitors, and more. As more people grow accustomed to wearables in their daily lives, the possibilities for what the technologies can do are virtually limitless. They already monitor vital signs, send information to medical professionals, and even give individuals the ability to soar like a bird in personal flight suits. Smart sports uniforms can now reduce and identify injuries by regulating body temperature, supporting muscles and tendons, and gauging the force of impact. Attire with virtual reality functions is currently being developed to push this sector even further. How will wearable technology enhance or jeopardize real-life experiences and connections with others? Where in the world could wearable technologies allow humans to survive? What advantages or disadvantages are inherent in the inclusion of technology in our clothing and on our bodies?

Humans have always impacted the environment. Over time, the effects have increased as industrialization, urbanization, deforestation, processing of natural resources, the burning of fossil fuels and more technologies have developed. Examples of human’s impact on the environment are everywhere.

Feeding the world’s growing population has adverse environmental effects such as overgrazing, deforestation, and agriculture-induced soil erosion. Water pollution from pesticides and fertilizers impacts the quality of water available for specific populations. Clearing of land and overfishing result in loss of biodiversity and disturbances to ecosystems. Industrialization and urbanization cause the release of toxic solid, liquid, or gaseous waste materials and are the catalyst for serious environmental hazards. Water pollution as a result of poor disposal of sewage wastes, solid wastes, and other industrial wastes, may spread diseases and create an unfit environment for human activities. Industrialization has also increased consumption of natural resources for the production of goods, leading to a significant loss of nonrenewable resources and excessive waste. Activities like mining and dam construction cause habitat destruction. Trends like “fast fashion” contribute to why the fashion industry is the second-leading cause of pollution in the environment. What are our challenges moving forward to create a balance between basic human needs and our need to preserve or create an environment that is fit for continued quality human existence and growth?

What if your doctor could diagnose you before you experience symptoms? Using information from an individuals’ genetic and molecular profile, researchers have begun to create patient-specific treatments with a level of precision never before seen. Personalized Medicine enables healthcare providers to use a patient’s cells to combat precisely identified diseases at an unprecedented pace.

Researchers at universities, biotech companies, laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies are continually making discoveries. Doctors and other healthcare professionals continue to explore how these discoveries can help patients and increase our knowledge about diseases. The pharmaceutical industry is developing medications that tailored to an individual patient’s genetic makeup. The costs of genetic tests are decreasing as their availability increases. Even with better affordability, how accessible will individualized advanced treatments be? Will insurance companies cover them? The increasing specificity of personal health information raises many concerns about the protection of personal data. How will Personalized Medicine account for the impact of external/environmental factors on an individual’s health?

Most people dream of visiting new and exciting places to experience culture, cuisine, and local entertainment through travel. Transportation technology makes it easier and faster than ever before to get from one country to another although travel can be very expensive and time-consuming for many people. Heightened safety concerns often mean changing security requirements and government screening processes for crossing borders.

Some experts believe that technology may begin to replace in-person travel. VR-AR-MR (Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality / Mixed Reality), are immediate, involving, engaging and immersive types of entertainment that can accessed anywhere in the world. This could cause travel to boom if people, having used these technologies, want to experience the world “for real.” People may be increasingly comfortable in both worlds: the physical real world, and the digital world that is constructed instantly and repeatedly to fit what each person wants and chooses, using immediately responsive networks.

How will the time, technology, and expense associated with travel impact the future of international travel and tourism?

Approximately one-third of our lives is spent sleeping. For nearly a century, scientists have been able to record brain activity and see the dynamic changes during sleep. Lack of sleep can affect brain function, especially memory, language, and emotional balance. Physical effects include fatigue, stress and health problems including heart disease and obesity. Today, technology on our wrists can measure sleep habits and movements.

Globally, businesses developing sleep aids are witnessing significant growth due to the rising incidence of sleep disorders. This has been exacerbated by the growing senior population. It is manifest in increasing demand for sleeping pills due to stressful modern lifestyles and increasing numbers of initiatives by various health organizations to increase awareness about sleep disorders. Sleep medications often have undesirable side effects and patents of major sleep drugs expire. Wakefulness aids, stimulants and prescription drugs such as coffee, energy drinks, benzodiazepines and even illegal drugs are gaining in popularity as a perceived solution to the need to perform effectively despite sleep deprivation.

How might our over-scheduled lives and increased digital presence disrupt natural circadian and sleep patterns? Can the benefits of sleep be replicated? What new technologies might be available to help people monitor and adjust brain wave activity during sleep? Will scientists discover more about the genes that enable functionality with less sleep?

Gamification isn’t just about leisure time digital or other games. Gamification applies the theories of game development that make games so alluring and creates sustained attention. Players and teams win points and rewards by completing designated tasks. Minecraft, for example, has been used by teachers for everything from computer science to social sciences to creative writing. Fitbit and tracking apps on the iWatch are increasingly popular and encourage competition – with yourself or with a group.
Gamification helps users focus on tasks that might normally be boring, and the process might be applied to fields such as customer loyalty, education, health, recreation, job training, self-improvement, household chores, fundraising, and activism. Gamification is being used by corporations to make marketing interactive, but it’s also being used to benefit individual health and well-being.

Is there a relationship between gamification and tech addiction? How might gamification impact education and learning, inside and outside formal schools, or even in the workplace? What are some of the ethical implications, particularly around user privacy? What role will companies have in the creation of tech products to “hook” their users or the use of gamification as an educational tool? Can gamification enhance human interactions?

Nearly half of the world’s population (more than 3.5 billion people) live in poverty. Of those 3.5 billion people, 1.4 live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $US 1.25 per day.

Across the globe, many people struggle to have and sustain basic needs such as food, clean water, basic medical supplies, and adequate shelter. Some people are forced to leave their homes to travel to other places or countries to find menial work to send money home to support their families. Due to poverty, many people are unable to access education. Some adults deliberately suffer from malnutrition so that their children can have the food that is available. Children in severe poverty are often orphaned or they have been sent away because their parents cannot afford to care for them. Healthy food can be very difficult to come by for the poor due to lack of financial and monetary resources, meaning that they depend on cheap, unhealthy foods to sustain their lives.

What can be done globally to assist those suffering from extreme poverty? How can we reverse this trend in order to decrease the adverse impact of poverty on future generations?

A spacecraft in orbit? A biosphere on extraterrestrial ground? Private and governmental organizations are already planning missions to set up research stations or even colonies on the Moon and Mars. Many see opportunities to learn more about our solar system, leading to a better understanding of Earth and ourselves; others question whether such missions are even feasible. One private agency is already seeking volunteers for a Mars mission. Space ventures provide an impetus for advancing knowledge and technologies with applications in space, as well as on Earth. Entrepreneurial and scientific opportunities abound to explore, to mine, and to engineer under distinct conditions. Pioneers will need to plan for a sustainable long-term stay, which will require vast investments of people, money, and other resources

Drones are among the most hyped products for aviation enthusiasts in recent years. Although originally developed for military use, drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be cool gadgets used for recreation. They can also be powerful tools for commerce, scientific research, agriculture, entertainment, photography, transportation, disaster relief, search and rescue, surveillance, and policing. UAVs can carry payloads and can be controlled remotely by a human operator or by an onboard computer. Basic drone models can be operated with little skill or training. Regulations on the use of UAVs are already in place in nations around the world, but technological advancements and expanded applications may outpace their regulation. While UAV use is growing exponentially, concerns are also escalating. Privacy intrusion, airspace violation, criminal use, surreptitious military operations, accidental crashes, terrorist threats, and other issues have raised alarms.

What does the future hold for UAV technological advancements and accessory enhancements? Will access to UAVs be equitable? How will the pending prevalence of drones in our daily lives affect society overall, especially in areas of personal rights and safety?

Hunger remains a concern in the developing world, and the resources required for food production are limited. About one-third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, leaving millions of people hungry and valuable resources squandered.

Food loss refers to a decrease in food for human consumption during production, post-harvest, and processing stages. Causes include poor harvesting techniques, weak infrastructure (markets, transportation, storage, cooling, packaging), contamination (bacteria, fungus, insects), and corruption. In addition to reduced availability, food loss contributes to higher costs, hurting farmers as well as those who cannot afford to buy their food.

Food losses that occur at retail and consumption stages are called food waste and refer to behaviors such as discarding edible food. Quality standards based on perfect appearance, misused “best-before-dates,” and careless consumer attitudes contribute to waste. Food waste is more common in the industrialized world, while food loss is a greater concern in developing nations.

Can food loss prevention combat hunger and raise incomes in developing nations? Can food waste be decreased without sacrificing quality or safety? What roles might technology or regulations serve? What are the economic, environmental, psychological, and societal implications? Can we improve global food security while meeting the needs of diverse consumers?

With exponential change and fast-paced trends in society comes an increase in stress. Stress can be physical, mental, or emotional. Living conditions, as well as societal and personal expectations, can lead to higher levels of stress-related hormones. In some parts of the world, people find it difficult to cope with longer work hours and less leisure time as they attempt to meet society’s perceived expectations. Social media is a constant presence, delivering both subtle and overt pressures.

Most people experience stress, but individuals respond differently. Stress can be a useful motivator in the face of challenges or danger, but negative impacts can result from excessive stress. Medical and psychological problems can emerge or be exacerbated. Scientific data show that physical activity and relaxation techniques are samples of ways to reduce these negative impacts.

What are the personal and societal impacts of stress? Do different countries and cultures deal with stress the same way? How can we promote healthier lifestyles that help people to cope with stress?

Each year, approximately 52 million people suffer from infectious diseases around the world.  Seventeen million deaths per year result from these diseases. With affordable global travel and more people living in cities, infectious diseases may spread rapidly across the globe.  How can the spread of infectious disease be controlled?  How can the health of people around the world be safeguarded?

Toxic materials are everywhere: heavy metals in electronics, flame retardants in furniture and clothing, pesticides in our food, and harmful chemicals in plastics.  Poisonous chemicals are linked to cancer and birth defects.  Although certain chemicals are known to be hazardous, current regulation systems allow them to continue to be brought into homes via many products.  How can we become better aware of the dangers associated with toxic wastes?  What will happen if we increase our reliance on these materials? 

Philanthrocapitalism is a form of philanthropy in which entrepreneurial ideas, practices, and wealth are used to tackle global challenges. As the divide between rich and poor increases around the world, the number of billionaires is growing. Some of the planet’s wealthiest people have become philanthrocapitalists, pledging to invest time, energy, skills, ideas, and large amounts of money towards worthy causes. This may have a positive impact on the people, groups, and causes that are chosen for support, but there are questions about this form of philanthropy.

Will the efforts of philanthrocapitalists actually lead to deep, sustainable results? How will their causes be chosen? Do individual philanthrocapitalists have the expertise to address the world’s most significant problems? Will this model of philanthropy present conflicts of interest as it influences the priorities, donations, or behaviors of average people? Does philanthrocapitalism transfer the power and responsibility of social change away from governments and charitable organizations to an elite few? How might philanthrocapitalism benefit or harm the generations of the future?

Biosecurity is a worldwide, cross-border problem. With the number of noxious pests, plant diseases, genetically modified crops, and displaced species increasing around the world, monitoring and controlling the movements across national borders is becoming increasingly difficult. Environmental changes may exacerbate the problem by altering the range of habitats and upsetting the natural balance. Equally difficult and a major concern is the implementation of measures to reduce the effect of these current issues on native flora and fauna as well as serious damage to exports. Even though a number of countries have stringent safeguards in place already, smuggling or lack of knowledge makes policing biosecurity difficult. Some countries have little or no policy for restricting the movement of plants and animals across borders. Customs officers can make some positive impact, but they are limited by the constraints of their job and the porous nature of many borders. Besides, what seems like necessary safeguards to some are seen as unnecessary constraints on trade and economic growth to others. How might development in new technologies assist in regulating and monitoring biosecurity issues? How can countries cooperate with each other in dealing with cross border contamination?

Education is considered to be the pathway to an informed, future-focused population. In many countries, education is publicly funded by the central government or by state governments, with options for privately funded schools. In some countries, school funding/regulation is largely local and tied to property taxes. Other countries struggle to fund education at all. In addition to differences in funding, other economic and social factors contribute to educational disparities: family earnings, health status, gender, political participation, and social class.

Who should provide educational funding? Should intervention occur in communities or countries where social factors influence the quality of educational opportunities? Already, some international programs such as International Baccalaureate or international exams like Cambridge and PISA claim to give a fair indication of educational achievement around the world, but do results help or harm educational equality? As connectivity spreads around the world, how will universal access to interactive and personalized networks of education evolve? Will access to these virtual networks equalize opportunities in the future?

The genes of organisms can be altered using biotechnology techniques. New genes can be inserted into plants and animals to create new varieties and breeds or to lessen certain genetic activity such as susceptibility to disease. Since 1970 GM has helped produce greater numbers of crops with higher nutritional value and has been prominent in animal agriculture. Critics claim there are serious ethical, ecological, and economic issues with GM techniques. For example, GM crops can cross-pollinate with non-GM crops creating unpredictable characteristics in plants. Bioherbicides and bioinsecticides can be added to crop seeds, but are not always effective. Resistant weeds now infest 75 million acres of land across the world. Domesticated animals are being genetically modified to produce proteins that have applications for human medicine – proteins to control blood clotting or kill cancer cells, for example.

What will be the long-term impact of genetic modification of plants and animals? If plants and animals are genetically modified to resist current pathogens, will new, more resistant pathogens develop? Already, GM has led to international controversy and trade disputes, protests, and restrictive regulations on commercial products containing genetically modified organisms.

The developments in the use of technology in the medical field have been dramatic in recent years, covering both issues of medical treatment and the delivery of medical services. For instance, the use of advanced electronics in the production of prostheses and other organ replacements has given some sign of the possible extent of technology application into the future. With greater technology advancements, very expensive and specialised disposable items are being used during surgical and medical treatments.  It is suggested that in the near future an inability of access to these technologies for public or poorer private patients will lead to a resurgence of more basic reusable equipment being favoured.

With more advanced devices, there may also be problems with medical workforces, as company representatives  may be the only people specifically trained to use the technology, rather than medical staff. Medical robots may be replaced by sentient beings or robots comes into play, as well as patients a inspected by virtual doctors  Patients may also be able to ‘print’ their own drugs at home, bypassing the pharmacy system. All these developments have and will have implications for government regulation, the cost of healthcare (and who pays for it), as well as the impact on social relationships and community-based service employment that, in this decade, is the main form of employment.

Identity theft is a form of stealing someone’s identity. Most often, identity thieves steal personal financial information, buy things for their own gain, and pay for none of it. Frequently, identity thieves gain access to personal information through business and government databases that are not secure. Dates of birth, full names, bank account details and identification numbers are part of the information sought by identity thieves. Stolen identities can be used to fund other crimes such as illegal immigration, terrorism, or drug crimes. It can be extremely difficult to find and prosecute identity thieves as they are often from different countries than the individuals whose identities they are stealing and they obtain personal details online.

Victims of identity crime can be held responsible for crimes committed using their identity and may have to fight for years to clear their names. In addition to the damage done to individuals, identity crime costs governments large amounts of money every year. Great collaboration between global governments and organizations will likely be needed to combat identity theft in the years to come. Individuals and businesses will also need to protect themselves. <br>How should individuals and organizations work together to protect identities from theft? How will identity thieves adapt their practices as more time and effort is invested in protecting identities? What information will be the most valuable to thieves in the coming years and decades?

Farmers, pet and animal owners, and scientific researchers have many different ways of treating animals in their care. Fewer than 30% of countries have animal welfare laws, and existing laws are not always enforced. Researchers assert that it is important to be able to use animals in research to test drugs and new medical procedures that can help both people and animals. Sometimes endangered animals are kept in captivity at a high cost in order to protect their limited populations. Animal shelters are often filled with feral animals or those that have been abandoned by their owners. Wild animals in many parts of the world come into conflict with human activity.

In the future, how might research impact human understanding and treatment of animals? Are zoos useful educational tools or unethical exhibitions? Are certain animals entitled to more rights than others based on cultural or intelligence differences? How can humans be better stewards in the treatment of animals? Who decides the appropriate treatment of animals and their role in society?

Language is the soul of a culture. The survival of a culture may depend on the language used for rituals and to describe cultural ideas, beliefs, and understandings. What is the impact on culture when its language disappears? By some estimates, of the six thousand languages left on Earth, 90% are expected to disappear or be endangered before the end of this century. In New Zealand, government and community initiatives are trying to revive the language of indigenous people, but even so it is in a precarious state. Many indigenous peoples around the globe don’t have support to prevent their language from disappearing. Will anyone be able to read the rich literature embodied in the disappearing languages in the years to come? What oral traditions will be lost? What responsibilities, if any, do governments, institutions, and communities have towards preserving endangered languages?

Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters are big news when they occur. Front-page news and internet feeds bring us the details of staggering statistics and images of loss of life and property. Recovery work such as rebuilding homes, infrastructure, and businesses go on even when the news moves on to the next big story. The human factor such as recovery from emotional, mental, and physical stress is a painful and difficult journey for survivors of natural disasters, often taking many years after the disaster strikes. A disaster recovery plan (DRP) often proves inadequate especially since it is often developed only after a disaster. Government agencies, insurance companies, charitable organisations, celebrities, and individual volunteers respond with immediate help, but long-term support can be difficult to sustain. How can relief efforts be best utilised, coordinated, and sustained to assist survivors? How can the people, communities, and countries that are affected by a disaster begin to recover from their losses and cope with their changed lives? How will the impact on psychological and physical health be managed?

The world today is increasingly interdependent with the advent of interconnectedness. The Internet brings individuals living in diverse places together for innovative opportunities in global collaboration. Physical space may no longer define a workplace. Many local and international corporations are able to employ people without them having to step out of their homes or countries. Developed countries outsource jobs to other countries where labour may be cheaper and labour laws less regulated. How might a more global workplace affect local and national economies? Some firms downsize their workforce in favour of automated systems that require less human input. These changes create a pool of workers who, besides being out of work, are often unprepared for other jobs. How might employers develop innovative ways to work globally? Is the growing trend of working globally online benefiting current workplace trends? How might this affect the world economy? What economic or educational changes might better prepare governments, businesses, and workers for a global workplace?

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, Second Life, wikis, blogging, tweeting - all of these words have entered our lives in the last few years. The impact of Web 2.0 and the rise of associated social media have changed our lives in many ways that we are only just beginning to understand.

Regimes have fallen because of the use of social media; careers can be jeopardized due to past and present social events posted on social media; people all over the world are able to collaborate in real time to work and to play. Some people think social media has a detrimental effect on people’s social lives; others believe it is a new and exciting way of socializing and developing relationships.

How might social media continue to impact our lives? Who will monitor the truth and accuracy of social media? Will social media lead to increased social isolation or enhanced global collaboration? Is there a need for controls, monitoring, or restrictions on social media? Do the positives outweigh the detrimental effects? Does any government have the right to legislate the use of social media by its citizens?

An increased interest in food and health has occurred around the world. Many questions have been asked on this topic: Where are food products produced? How? Why? Who produces food products? How far have these products traveled? How long have they been stored? How is food tracked from “farm to table”? A huge number of food products are now chemically-enhanced and processed. Foods may be labeled as “natural flavors,” but these do not necessarily come from the original product. Strawberry flavoring, for example, may have started out as a bacterial protein. Are preservatives safe? How might the addition of flavor enhancers, vitamins and minerals, phosphate additives, and sugar and fat substitutes affect our overall health? What are beneficial reasons for using processed foods? What processed foods should we avoid? Genetic engineering is still under study and remains controversial. Nanotechnology represents the latest high technology attempt to infiltrate our food supply. Do these new technologies pose serious new risks for human health?

Propaganda is communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. Selective messages are used to produce an emotional rather than rational response from the audience. Common media for transmitting propaganda messages include news reports, government reports, historical revision, junk science, books, leaflets, movies, radio, television, and posters. Propaganda shares techniques with advertising and public relations.

With growing trends in communication, how will propaganda be spread in the future through digital media? How can wealth of individuals, groups, or countries advance a particular agenda? In a number of regional and global conflicts, including both World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars, the Balkan Conflict, and more recently the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, propaganda has more typically referred to political or nationalist uses of these techniques. Examples of these techniques include the following: instilling panic, appealing to prejudice, creating a bandwagon, demonizing the enemy, stating half-truths, and providing a scapegoat. Propaganda usually exists on both sides of a conflict, but is often perceived as negative in nature. What are some positive examples of present-day propaganda? What are some negative examples of present-day propaganda?

Through the use of performance enhancing drugs, personal trainers, speed-enhancing swimsuits, technologies for body and brain, people can enhance their potential in physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities. As time goes on, humans will be offered even more ways to enhance their potential in unprecedented ways: cybernetic body parts, memory-enhancing or erasing drugs, technologically advanced sports equipment, and/or humans/computer interfaces, etc. Will the definition of “human” change? Many ethical issues surround these advances: Should sports people be able to enhance their performances in any way they like? Should parents be able to choose IQ or mood boosters such as drugs or brain implants for their children? What impacts might exist with the disparities between the “haves” and the “have-nots”? How far might the human brain and body be pushed? To what extent can we “perfect” the human body? What “enhancers” do we have presently? What are the dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the lives of human beings

" Future Problem Solving teaches critical thinking skills, stimulates creativity, encourages development of a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles. "

2022 National Finals (Globe Photography)

Aldous Huxley

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.

Future Problem Solving is an exciting academic competition that empowers students with a skillset to solve the problems they face in the world today. Created by E. Paul Torrance, a creativity pioneer, in 1974, Future Problem Solving has evolved to become an international entity, including participants from more than 10 countries. Alabama Future Problem Solving is an affiliate of Future Problem Solving Program International. We would love to have you join us!

2023-2024 Topics

2022 – 2023 topics, 2020-2021 topics, 2019-2020 topics, 2018-2019 topics, philanthrocapitalism, kicking off the 2017-2018 year, 2017-2018 topics.

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Future Problem Solving International Conference 2021 Results

The Raffles Wave

2020 Term 3n4

2020 Term 1n2

News & Events 2022

RGS Open House 2022

Year 1 Orientation Week 2022

Mother Tongue Fortnight 2022

Happy Lunar New Year 2022!

House Banner Reveal 2022

Learning Journeys Week 2022

English Week 2022

HUSHSTEM Week 2022

Parents for RGS Association Annual General Meeting

Xinyao Appreciation Session

RGS Alumnae 8th Annual General Meeting

Tamil Language Festival 2022

RGS Ramadan Project 2022

RGS Virtual Open House 2022

Earth Week 2022

NPCC Day 2022

RGS Sports Fest 2022

SMRT PSB Kindness Initiative 2022

News & Events 2021

Farewell Alma Mater (FAM) 2021

RGS Sports Fest 2021

RGS Community Fair 2021

RGS Virtual Open House 2021

Teachers' Day Celebrations 2021

National Day Celebrations 2021

Founder's Day 2021

Anthology of Creative Works by RGS Students

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Launch of the RGS Butterfly Garden

Parents for RGS Association 19th Annual General Meeting

RGS Environment Hub Website

Learning Journeys Week 2021

HUSH STEM Week 2021

Happy Lunar New Year 2021!

The FPSP IC was held virtually in June 2021 with participants from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States of America. During the conference, 63 CmPS projects were shared, 203 GIPS teams wrote booklets and 138 Scenario Writers responded to a Neurotechnology Future Scene.

Here are the results for our RGS teams.

COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING (MIDDLE DIVISION)

Project ImPETus  mentored by Mr Yeo Jun Han placed 4th in ‘Civic/Cultural & Environmental Concerns’ category. Its members are as follows.

• Manya Sethi
• Reine Ong Eng Qin
• Sarah Claire Ng Yan Rong

(All students in Year 4)

Project Mindflayer  mentored by Mdm Aliah Shariff placed 5th in ‘Education’ category. Its members are as follows.

• Chew Shao Yee
• Clarissa Lee Yen Yee
• Esther Woon Sue Ann
• Gwen Chong Jia Yng
• Lim Yann Ying, Kayla
• Wang Yining, Marianne
• Yeo Fu Xuan Joyce

Cyberwellness: The New Normal  mentored by Ms Nora Kamsir Charlene Ying Xin placed 6th in ‘Education’ category. Its members are as follows.

• Atiqah Zahra Ahmed
• Aisyah Nur Humyra Binte Mohamed Riduan
• Megan Kwek Tze Ying
• Lau Jia Shing
• Lim Xuan Qi
• Tan Gin Juat

GLOBAL ISSUES PROBLEM SOLVING (MIDDLE DIVISION)

The RGS team, mentored by Miss Foo Ling Ling, was awarded 9th. Its members are as follows.

• Angela Meng Fantian

SCENARIO WRITING (SENIOR DIVISION)

Charlene Ong Yingxin, mentored by Ms Ong Shu Juin, was awarded 8th. Charlene graduated in 2020 and currently studies in RIJC.

• (321) 768-0074
• mail@fpspi.org
• 2015 Grant Pl, Melbourne, FL 32901

$ 34.00

Read the best of the Scenarios from around the world and see what makes them champions!

• The top five Scenarios from each division in the Future Problem Solving Program International Scenario Writing Competition • Includes evaluator scores and comments

Purchase does not permit reproduction of any part of the book for an entire school, special programs, school district or school system, or for commercial use. Such use is strictly prohibited.

Related products

2020 International Conference Scenario Writing (SW) and Scenario Performance (ScP) Champs

2023-24 All Topic Activity Unit Full Set

2022-23 All Topic Activity Unit Full Set

2021-22 Qualifying Problem Unit

Washington Future Problem Solving

Strategic Plan

Annual Report

FPS Adult Awards

CTF Scholarship

Additional program information, global issues problem solving.

2023-24 GIPS Information GIPS Sample Future Scene and Booklet GIPS Category List

General Promo Materials

Overview of FPS Brochure Parent Brochure Curriculum Connection Brochure International Baccalaureate (IB) Flyer

Community Problem Solving

2023-24 CmPS Information Evaluation Guidelines CmPS Project Proposal Example CmPS Project Report Example CmPS Project Portfolio Example CmPS Project Promotional Video Example CmPS Project Display Examples 2023 CmPS Summaries Booklet Free Guide to Project Management Implementation in CmPS

Scenario Writing

2023-24 Scenario Writing Information SW Sample Future Scene and Scenario

Scenario Performance

2023-24 Scenario Performance Information Junior Division IC 2022 Champion Middle Division IC 2022 Champion Senior Division IC 2022 Champion

FPSOnline Instructions

Coach instructions.

Registering Teams, Adding Students, and Viewing Team Information Import Student Data in Bulk GIPS Upload Traditional Booklet CmPS instructions for uploading project SW Upload Traditional Scenario ScP Submission Instructions Instructions to Review Evaluated Work Viewing Student Work

Student Instructions

GIPS Instructions SW Submission Instructions ScP Submission Instructions Viewing Evaluations View Future Scene on Two tabs How to Highlight in the Future Scene

Evaluator Instructions

Global Issues Problem Solving Global Issues Problem Solving by Step Community Problem Solving Scenario Writing Scenario Performance

Video Instructions

Check our YouTube channel for current tutorial videos under the Working in FPSOnline playlist

FPSOnline FAQ

Check out our FPSOnline knowledge Base and faqs here FPSOnline FAQs