A summary for new or interested coaches has been written by Ainsley Faulkner, an experienced International CmPS evaluator. There are essentially three aspects to the project: a preliminary report in August, the construction of a booth display whilst continuing to implement the plan of action in the local community, and the display of the booth, together with an extensive team interview, at the National Finals in October. Invitations to the Finals are issued on the basis of the Preliminary Report in August.

An Australian Middle Division Booth Display at the International Conference

Teams of students in Community Problem Solving around the world have implemented a wide range of action plans, ranging from cleaning up hazardous waste to a program for finding homes for unwanted pets. Not all of these projects have to be completed in the course of one year. Students are evaluated on the progress that they have made in implementing their action plan and can therefore resubmit their project for several years in a row, providing new work has been done. The students in the group do not have to remain the same either, although it is obviously preferable that a core of the group remains. Such long term projects are very common in the USA.

Remember that Community Problem Solving is now available as an individual option as well as for a team. This makes the Program very relevant to schools offering the International Baccalaureate as the CmPS project is ideal for fulfilling the research and service aspects of the curriculum.