Future Problem Solving Program International

Abbreviation| FPSPI
Established| 1974
Founder| Ellis Paul Torrance
Type| Educational program
Legal status| 501(c)(3)
Headquarters| Melbourne, Florida
Website| fpspi.org

Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI), originally known as Future Problem Solving Program (FPSP), and often abbreviated to FPS, is a non-profit educational program that organizes academic competitions in which students apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to hypothetical future situations. The program looks at current technological, geopolitical, and societal trends and projects those trends 20–30 years into the future in order to train students to develop solutions to the challenges they may face as adults. FPSPI was founded by creativity researcher Ellis Paul Torrance in 1974.[1] Today, thousands of students from over 14 countries participate in the program each year.[2] Most FPSPI components are open to students who are in the equivalent of the U.S. grade level range of 4 through 12. Divisions range from junior (4-6), middle (7-9), and senior (10-12+)

## Contents

* 1 Structure
* 2 Pedagogy
* 3 Topic history
* 4 Notable alumni
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Structure

FPSPI consists of state and nationwide organizations called affiliates. Each affiliate is responsible for conducting the competitions which take place in its own geographic area. Students begin preparing for competition at the start of each school year. Depending on the affiliate and the type of competition, there may be regional, state, or national levels of competition that take place during the year. Only the winners of any given competition qualify to proceed to the next level. The highest level of competition takes place at the annual International Conference (IC), which is held in May or June, at the end of the United States' school year. The IC is held at the campus of a public university in the United States (the country with the largest number of competitors), with a new location being chosen every two years.

## Pedagogy

FPSPI was originally founded to train students to use a specific six-step problem-solving process:

1. Identify challenges that exist in a given situation.
2. Pick a high-impact "Underlying Problem" to focus on, formulated as an attainable goal that addresses the problem.
3. Brainstorm solutions to the Underlying Problem.
4. Develop criteria that measure solutions' positive impact on people affected by the Underlying Problem.
5. Evaluate and rank the solutions using the criteria.
6. Develop an elaborated Action Plan based on the highest-ranking solution.

The original Future Problem Solving competition—now known as Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS)—evaluates students' competency in using this problem-solving process in the context of a fictional future situation. Students in the GIPS competition are grouped into grade level ranges and may compete as individuals or as teams of four. Prior to each competition event, FPSPI announces the competition topic (such as "Artificial Intelligence" or "Oceans") and provides a list of suggested readings. Students spend 1–2 months researching the topic with an eye to potential future challenges and solutions. At the beginning of the competition, students are given a Future Scene (FS), a one- to two-page document that describes the hypothetical future situation having to do with the pre-announced topic. Competitors then proceed according to the six-step process. Students are graded on their correct application of the process and on their use of cited research and creative originality.

FPSPI later developed additional programs that make use of the six-step problem-solving process, or that otherwise train students in creative critical thinking. In the Community Problem Solving (CmPS) competition, students are evaluated on how well they apply the process to present-day problems in their own community. The Action-based Problem Solving (AbPS) program adapts the process for classroom use. In the Scenario Writing competition, students write a short story, set at least 20 years in the future, based on one of the GIPS competition topics. The Scenario Performance component is similar but is geared toward students who prefer telling stories through oral communication. Finally, students can also compete in the Presentation of Action Plan competition. After completing the six-step process in two hours, students then immediately begin work on a second competition called "Presentation of Action Plan" in which they illustrate their final solution by preparing and performing a skit.

## Topic history

Each year on June 1st, FPSPI releases the four topics for the Practice Problem 1, Practice Problem 2, Qualifying Problem, and Affiliate Bowl competitions for the following school year. Since 2024, they have released the World Solutions Challenge topic on July 1st for that school year. Finally, each year on March 1st, FPSPI releases the International Conference topic for that school year.

List of past and current FPSPI topics[3][4]

Academic Year  | World Solutions Challenge  | Practice Problem 1  | Practice Problem 2  | Qualifying Problem  | Affiliate Bowl  | International Conference
2025-2026  | Rising Sea Levels | Invasive Species | Space Exploration | Video Games | Surveillance | Forestry
2024-2025  | Artificial Intelligence | Food Security | Rising Sea Levels | Agricultural Industry | Nanotechnology | The Future of History
2023-2024  |  | Tourism | Urbanization | Antarctica | Autonomous Transportation | Air Quality
2022-2023  |  | E-Waste | Digital Realities | Robotic Workforce | Throw-Away Society | Currency
2021-2022  |  | Water Supply | Building Green | Insects | Mining | Antibiotic Resistance
2020–2021  |  | Youth In Competitive Sports | Wearable Technology | Human Environmental Impact | Personalized Medicine | Neurotechnology
2019–2020  |  | International Travel | Sleep Patterns | Gamification | Living in Poverty | Terraforming
2018–2019  |  | Mission to Moon, Mars, and Beyond | Drones | Food Loss & Waste | Coping with Stress | De-Extinction
2017–2018  |  | Spread of Infectious Disease | Toxic Materials | Philanthrocapitalism | Cloud Storage | Criminal Justice Systems
2016–2017  |  | Educational Disparities | It's All in the Genes | 3D Printing | Identity Theft | Biosecurity
2015–2016  |  | Treatment of Animals | Disappearing Languages | Recovering from Natural Disasters | The Global Workplace | Energy of the Future
2014–2015  |  | The Impact of Social Media | Processed Foods | Propaganda | Enhancing Human Potential | Intellectual Property
2013–2014  |  | Social Isolation | Desertification | Surveillance Society | Land Transportation | Space
2012–2013  |  | Culture of Celebrity | Robotic Age | Megacities | Ocean Soup | Global Status of Women
2011–2012  |  | All in a Day's Work | Coral Reefs | Human Rights | Trade Barriers | Pharmaceuticals
2010–2011  |  | Healthy Living | Air Transport | Genetic Testing | Water Quality | Emergency Planning
2009–2010  |  | Sensory Overload | Invasive Species | Orphaned Children | Food Distribution | Green Living
2008–2009  |  | Olympic Games | Cyber Conflict | Space Junk | Counterfeit Economy | Pandemic
2007–2008  |  | Body Enhancement | Simulation Technology | Neurotechnology | Debt in Developing Countries | Child Labor
2006–2007  |  | Fundraising and Charity Giving | Protection of National Treasures | Cultural Prejudice | Caring for Our Elders | Privacy
2005–2006  |  | Climate Change/Threat | Freedom of Speech | Nutrition | Health Care Access | Redistribution of Wealth
2004–2005  |  | Entertainment | Terrorism/Security | Agriculture of the 21st Century | Depletion of Oceanic Species | Business Crime
2003–2004  |  | Smart Clothes | Rage/Bullying | Artificial Intelligence | Media Impact | Immigration
2002–2003  |  | Sports Medicine | E-Commerce | Nanotechnology | DNA Identification | Worldwide Communications
2001–2002  |  | Alternative Energy | Educational Options | Organ Donation | Environmental Law | Virtual Corporations
2000–2001  |  | Tourism | World Population | Water | Habitat | International Relations
1999–2000  |  | Fads | Financial Security | Amateur Sports | The Internet | Genetic Engineering
1998–1999  |  | Undersea Living | Computer Error | Life Long Learning | Prison Alternatives | Distribution of Wealth
1997–1998  |  | Natural Disasters | Freedom | Women in the Workplace | Non-Traditional Families | Medical Ethics
1996–1997  |  | Homes of the Future | Extraterrestrial Life | Cashless Society | Competition | Increasing Life Span
1995-1996  |  | Firearms | Mental Health | 21st Century Marketplace | Cybernetics | United Nations
1994-1995  |  | Cities | Homelessness | Kids and Violence | Prejudice | Privacy
1993-1994  |  | Robotic | Antarctica | Extinction of Animals | Space Law | Control of Disease
1992-1993  |  | Stress on Students | Hunger | Oceans | Drugs | Nuclear Waste
1991-1992  |  | Space Exploration | Legal Epidemic | Sports Ethics | Land Use | Advertising
1990-1991  |  | High School Dropouts | Ozone Depletion | Transportation | Censorship | Corruption in Government
1989-1990  |  | Shrinking Tropical Rainforests | The Arms Race | Poverty | Medical Advances | Crime
1988-1989  |  | Energy Sources | Youth and the Law | Nutrition | Employment | Terrorism
1987-1988  |  | Space Travel | The Elderly | Acid Rain | Immigration | Birth Defects
1986-1987  |  | Garbage | Changing Family Structures | Water | Illiteracy | The Impact of Media
1985-1986  |  | Endangered Species | Feeding the World | Artificial Intelligence | American Legal System | Organ Transplants
1984-1985  |  | Drunk Driving | Nuclear War | Education | The Greenhouse Effect | Industrialization of Space
1983-1984  |  | Electronic Games | Prisons | Lasers | Nuclear Waste | Genetic Engineering
1982-1983  |  | Ocean Communities | Robotics | Pet Overpopulation | Computers | Nuclear War
1981-1982  |  | Child Abuse | Extranormal Mental Powers | Drug Use | Endangered Wildlife | Space Colonization
1980-1981  |  | Solar Energy | Transportation | Home Computers | Hunger & Malnutrition | Increased Longevity
1979-1980  |  | Transportation | Space Travel | Ocean Farming | Hypnosis & Psychic Energy | Alternative Energy Sources

## Notable alumni

* Allison Schroeder,[5] Academy Award-nominated screenwriter
* Meganne Christian,[6] astronaut and researcher
* Jack Petocz,[7] LGBTQ+ Activist

## References

1. ↑ "What is FPSPI?". https://www.fpspi.org/what-is-fpspi/.
2. ↑ "Find an Affiliate" (in en-US). https://www.fpspi.org/slider/find-an-affiliate/.
3. ↑ "FPSPI Topic History" (PDF). https://www.fpspi.org/pdf/Topic_History.pdf.
4. ↑ "Topic History". https://fpspi.org/topics/.
5. ↑ "GeekGirl Meets Hidden Figures Screenwriter, Allison Schroeder". https://www.geekgirlmeetup.co.uk/blog/2017/2/27/geekgirl-meets-hidden-figures-screenwriter-allison-schroeder. "I’ve been writing since a young age. I used to compete in Future Problem Solving Scenario Writing, a competition where you project a world problem into the future as a science fiction short story. I won first place internationally for my scenario on toxic waste in seventh grade [in 1993], so that was probably the beginning [of what led me to become a screenwriter]."
6. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/in/megannechristian/?originalSubdomain=uk [bare URL]
7. ↑ Ryan, Shaun. "Flagler middle-schoolers helping fight delinquency" (in en-US). https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2018/03/11/flagler-middle-schoolers-helping-fight-delinquency/13004883007/.

## External links

* Future Problem Solving Program International

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