Programs > Educator's Guide

Future Problem Solving encourages students from grades P-12 to become more aware of a diverse range of community and global topics. These include business and economics, science and technology, and social and political concerns affecting our world today. Some of the topics include STEM, Global Citizenship, and HASS issues.

By adding the Future Problem Solving experience into students' education, educators make a lasting impact on their students' lives. The skills learnt are transferable to other subjects, university, and employment.

Future Problem Solving can be implemented in the classroom or as an extracurricular activity.

Future Problem Solving encourages students to become inquirers, developing an affinity for researching, constructing, and applying complex theories and technologies.

Real-world problems are often multi-layered. Future Problem Solving teaches students to take a step back, examine the bigger picture, and understand emerging trends.

Through the use of the six-step process, ideas are refined and applied. Repeated use of the problem-solving framework develops a student's ability to identify relevant problems confidently and provide real solutions and action plans to solve a problem effectively.

The Future Problem Solving programs allow students to practice powerful problem-solving skills that engage their critical and creative thinking.

Through competitions, Future Problem Solving brings lessons to the next level. Students see how others solve the same problem, resulting in an incredible learning experience.

Our Community Problem Solving program enables students to step beyond theory to think about a creative solution to a local problem, execute an action plan, and build on these solutions.

Teaching materials are provided via the Future Problem Solving secure site to enhance the learning of the six-step process and provide support. Handbooks and other helpful resources are available on each learning option pages. Coaches receive access to these pages upon registration.

Future Problem Solving offers a wide range of educational publications, instructional materials, and virtual content. Virtual support is available through videos and e-learning experiences. 

Future Problem Solving also offers workshops for coaches and students.

Once registered in the desired program, Educators start teaching the Future Problem Solving process.  Students practice using the Future Problem Solving topics and preliminary project deadlines to support learning through feedback from our Evaluators. 

Students have the opportunity to work through two practice topics, before tackling a competitive topic for qualification to the National Finals, held in October each year.

National champions may be invited to advance to the International Conference. The International Conference, provides students the opportunity compete and collaborate with problem solvers from all over the globe.

1. Select a program:

• Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS)
• Community Problem Solving (CmPS)
• Scenario Writing (ScW)
• Scenario Performance (ScP)

2. Choose a division

• junior (years 5-6)
• middle (years 7-9)
• senior (year 10-12)

3. Decide on the number of registrations

• GIPS - teams of 4 students or individual
• CmPS - teams of 2 to ~15 students or individual
• ScW - individuals
• ScP - individuals

3. Register your teams (or individual students)

4. Order your publications 

For Prep to Year 4 students, Primary Programs is a non-competitive alternative to teaching components of Future Problem Solving.

2022 National Finals
Credit: Globe Photography

Your details will be sent to the FPS National Office.  We will contact you to discuss your requirements and the options available to commence your school's Future Problems Solving journey.

Alternatively, book a Zoom meeting with our National Director.