Upper St. Clair qualifies for FPS International Conference
Upper St. Clair’s ninth-0grade team earned first place in Global Issues Problem Solving and first place in the Action Plan Presentation during the Future Problem Solving state bowl and qualified for the international conference to be held in June at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sofia Alfredson Themudo, Anoushka Barve, Sara Gillespie and Kaia Petrick comprised the team.
Upper St. Clair 10th-grade students earned second place in Global Issues Problem Solving and first place in the Action Plan Presentation during the Future Problem Solving state bowl and qualified for the international conference to be held in June at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Jamie Barrett, Frankie Dubreil, Anna Engelman and Sydney Montgomery made up the squad.
Two teams of Upper St. Clair High School students qualified for the Future Problem Solving International Conference by being among the top performers at the state bowl held in Camp Hill.
“Our teams did a tremendous job,” said Connie Gibson, gifted education coordinator. “Both of the high school teams performed admirably, coming out on top in their respective divisions and qualifying to attend internationals – an incredible accomplishment. I am so excited for all!”
The ninth-grade team earned first place in Global Issues Problem Solving and first place in the Action Plan Presentation. Sofia Alfredson Themudo, Anoushka Barve, Sara Gillespie and Kaia Petrick comprised the team.
The 10th-grade team earned second place in Global Issues Problem Solving and first place in the Action Plan Presentation. Jamie Barrett, Frankie Dubreil, Anna Engelman and Sydney Montgomery made up the squad.
“Their point total for Global Issues Problem Solving was so close to first place that both teams are being sent to the international competition,” Gibson said.
The FPS International Conference is set for June 7-11 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“This is such an amazing event for the students to be able to experience,” Gibson said. “The competition involves thousands of students from Australia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Turkey and the United States.”
At the state bowl, teams were given two hours to use a six-step think tank method to brainstorm possible problems and solutions for a scenario on the topic of throw-away society. In addition, teams were required to create an action plan presentation for their solution.
“I truly believe that Future Problem Solving is such an important program, instilling critical skills in our future leaders,” Gibson said. “FPS ingrains a process for how to think and make a positive difference in the world around them – both now and in the future. Students learn how to creatively think about, and assess, future problems so they can find solutions to solve them.”
For both teams, this marks the second year in a row competing at the state-level competition. The ninth-grade team finished first, advancing to internationals, and the 10th-grade team placed second in 2022.