It’s no secret that to succeed in today’s workplace few abilities are more essential than critical and creative problem solving skills. Change at work comes often and at a dizzying pace, which will only increase with time. Workers who thrive in this atmosphere are flexible and creative thinkers.
What are schools doing to prepare students for the twenty-first century workplace? State curriculum standards, or goals, call for problem solving skills. But these skills are seldom taught, either in the middle school classroom or in high school. Have students absorbed critical creative thinking skills indirectly? Most kids haven’t. “The fact is, our young people are woefully under-prepared for the demands of today’s workplace,” says Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Creativity pioneer E. Paul Torrance founded Future Problem Solving Program International to address this challenge. Through competitive and noncompetitive problem solving activities for K12 grades students, FPSPI brings to life its mission, “to develop the ability of young people globally to design and promote positive futures using critical, creative thinking.”
Student teams in grades four through twelve from about fifty affiliates worldwide compete in team problem solving, community problem solving, scenario writing, and action-based problem solving activities that create unique visions of the future. Recent and upcoming competition topics range broadly and are genuine challenges. A few examples include cyber conflict, space junk, the counterfeit economy, sensory overload, invasive species, genetic testing, water quality, and emergency planning.
Students research a selected topic and then use the following six-step problem solving model to address a problem or issue.
- Identify Challenges
- Select an Underlying Problem
- Produce Solution Ideas
- Generate and Select Criteria
- Apply Criteria to Solution Ideas
- Develop an Action Plan
Do FPSPI’s programs intrigue you? Find out more about Future Problem Solving International on its Web site: www.fpspi.org.
If you’re sold on FPSPI’s mission and programs, start talking to other parents, teachers, and community leaders. Everyone’s schedules are stuffed, and a new program, no matter how worthwhile, will really have to sell itself—with a boost from you! In order for students at your school to participate, you’ll need coaches and mentors, as well as chaperones for out-of-town competitions. You’ll need money, too; not an outrageous amount, but some. That’s why it’s essential to get the community involved. Local governments, businesses, and organizations can help fund the program. In return students can help solve community problems using the FPSP process. Real-life problems and solutions: what a great way for kids to prepare now for the challenges they are certain to face in the future.
Sara jo Schwartz is an education writer and editor based in Grand Haven, Michigan.