The Future Problem Solving (FPS) team is prospering in our school due to the tireless efforts of Radhika Unnikrishnan and Parvathy Unnikrishnan, who started the FPS club at our school and laid a strong foundation for future generations of problem solvers.
This year, the club again prospers under student management.
President: Parvathy Unnikrishnan
Co-Vice Presidents : Ishika Peter & Shriyan Daggubati
Parvathy shares, “Since first competing in fourth grade, FPS has pushed me to think deeper, communicate better, and believe in my ability to make a real impact.”
The team now stands strong with close to 18 members. The team is advised by Mr. Schnee from their faculty. Shriyan Daggubati has been very active in organizing study and practice sessions to help them come up with solutions to research and hone their skills to be ready for this year’s competition challenges.
What Is FPS and the GIPS Program?
The FPS requires critical thinking about global issues in a systematically organized way. One of its biggest elements is GIPS (Global Issues Problem Solving), in which global issues presented in futuristic circumstances are assessed and innovative solutions are developed.
The FPS Six-Step Problem-Solving Process
Students learn to apply these skills effectively to a given situation following these six steps:
- Find Problems/Issues: Look into the situation and identify the issues present.
- Choosing Underlying Problem: One must be able to identify and define effectively the underlying problem to be solved.
- Generate Solution Ideas : Brainstorm several creative solutions to resolve this problem.
- Developed Criteria: Create criteria to assess solutions.
- Determine Solutions’ Effectiveness: Use criteria to evaluate solutions to choose which solution works best.
- Create an Action Plan: The objective here would be to develop a detailed plan for implementing the chosen solution in the real-world context.
This process helps to improve teamworking skills, critical thinking skills, and methods of viewing complex issues from different perspectives.
Last Year’s Achievements:
The GIPS Individuals series delivered outstanding results. Ishika Peter secured 1st place, while Mishty earned an impressive 2nd place. First time participant Shriyan Daggubati achieved 2nd place at the State level and advanced as a World Finalist, marking a significant personal and institutional accomplishment.
Additionally, the International Conference held at Indiana University, Bloomington, represented a major milestone, underscoring the program’s growing global recognition and reach.
In the GIPS Team competition, Parvathy’s team scored 3rd at State and Top 20 internationally; their creativity, research skills, and teamwork were exemplary.
In community problem-solving events (CMPS), team leaders Radhika and Parvathy performed outstandingly and received 1st place.
The success of last year’s efforts to motivate and encourage team members is now paying off as members of the FPS community start to gear up for competitions this year. Study sessions conducted by Shriyan Daggubati, together with directions from Mr. Schnee, have helped new and returning team members research and come up with solutions.
The FPS Club personifies curiosity, teamwork, and determination to prove how students can make a difference in global issues while developing their skills of leadership and problem-solving. The school looks forward to another year of innovation, success, and motivation from these brilliant minds. The meetings take place in Room Number E 108. Follow us @Weddington_FPS for more updates! If you have what it takes to make a difference and provide solutions to real-world situations, join the club!
