Empowering students to think critically, creatively and empathetically about the future of our world is at the heart of the Future Problem Solving (FPS) global competition.
Since its introduction at Ascham in 2023, Future Problem Solving has emerged as a dynamic and intellectually rigorous platform, where students explore and address some of the most pressing global issues of our time. With its foundations in research, innovation and foresight, the FPS program requires students to become informed about complex global topics such as the agriculture industry, food security, Antarctica, autonomous vehicles and over-tourism. To prepare, they undertake extensive reading and engage with experts in each field, deepening their understanding of the issues around and the interconnections between political, social, environmental and economic systems. This research forms the foundation for their problem-solving and creative thinking throughout the competition.
Last year, our team of four Year 6 Ascham students qualified to represent Australia at the prestigious Future Problem Solving International Conference in the USA, the global final of the competition!
In June this year, teacher Breanne Porter and Head of School Andrew Powell accompanied Ava, Adela, Claire and Isabelle (all now in Year 7) to Indiana University, in Bloomington Indiana, to participate in the five-day international FPS event.
It was an extraordinary life experience for our students: travelling overseas without their parents, living in university dormitories, navigating a vast campus, dining in its cafeterias, and of course competing in a global event against other young people from around the world. Their exposure to university life, international peers and independent travel provided the girls with a valuable opportunity for personal growth and confidence-building.
The competition was fierce, but out of 59 teams our girls placed 2nd in the creative performance task and 5th in the written component!
These exceptional results reflect the strength of their research, teamwork and imagination. We are so very proud of them.
