About History

The International Future Problem Solving Program: A Brief History

IN THE BEGINNING

In 1974, when Dr. E. Paul Torrance accepted an invitation to work with a group of gifted youngsters at Clarke High School in Athens, Georgia, he was unaware that the activity he had developed would grow rapidly into an International Program reaching hundreds of thousands of students at all levels of schooling. But that is exactly what happened and today, it is estimated that more than 250,000 young people internationally participate each year in the Future Problem Solving Program. Future Problem Solving is an outstanding educational and learning experience that should be available to all students. It is a multi-disciplinary activity that is one of the most significant and widely respected programs for bright youngsters in existence. As Joe Renzulli, Director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, USA, says, “ It helps to bring out the energy of young people in a way that you would love to see happen in every classroom and situation. It is a program that gives them remarkable opportunities to put their learning to work in very meaningful and very enjoyable ways.

AN OVERVIEW

Future Problem Solving:

  • is an outstanding enrichment experience with proven ability to challenge and extend bright, young minds. It would add a significant new dimension to the range of educational experiences available to your gifted students

  • is a flexible, cross-disciplinary curriculum activity available to students at all levels of schooling from Year 1 to Year 12. This flexibility makes it readily adaptable to classes within the curriculum, to selected groups withdrawn from class or to co-curricular groups

  • is an experience in critical, creative and futuristic thinking with an emphasis on co-operative, small-group learning and clear, concise written communication of ideas.

  • challenges bright, motivated youngsters to use their imagination in applying learned information and advanced thinking strategies

  • can be either a competitive or non-competitive activity. Since its main emphasis is on individual learning and personal growth, the Program is designed as a year-long activity with comprehensive, written feedback provided to teams on each topic completed.

  • is not just an activity appropriate for gifted students. While such students generally achieve significantly higher results, the Program is relevant to motivated people of all abilities and backgrounds because FPS teaches life skills


< Prev
 

A Program Option...

  • The Global Issues Problem Solving (Booklet Program) begins when a school registers one or more teams and finds coaches - usually, but not necessarily, teachers - to work with team members. Coaches and teams work together to learn and practise the skills involved in the six-stage creative problem solving process. They then apply these skills gradually…
  • Scenario Writing is another component of the multi-faceted Future Problem Solving Program. Students develop and submit pieces of writing containing up to 1500 words. These 'scenarios' are written in short story format, are based on one of the topics chosen for the year and must be set at least twenty years into the future.

     

  • Community Problem Solving is a Program where students apply the problem solving process they have learned to real-life problems within their communities. Reports of problem solving projects are evaluated and winners at each of the age divisions may receive invitations to attend the International FPS Conference.
  • Action-based Problem Solving has been designed specifically for use in Prep-Year 4 classrooms. The whole class works together as a 'team' to complete the challenges that are presented to them. It introduces the classroom teacher and students to creative problem-solving and higher-level thinking and action skills in a non-threatening environment.

     

  • storytelling-1Scenario Performance (Competitive)
    An oral storytelling activity for individual students that offers them the opportunity to enlarge, enrich and make more accurate their images of the future. Students are challenged to create a story of between 4-5 minute duration, set at least 20 years in the future, and that arises from any one of…
  • The School Curriculum Program involves using the FPS process as a basis for curriculum development and integrating the process into the mainstream learning program. This can be achieved by using the FPS process and/or Program components within a range of specific subject areas as well as interdisciplinary programs.

     
ISI Web Design