Students can participate in Global Issues Problem Solving as individuals or in teams of up to 4 students, from years 5/6 (junior division), 7-9 (middle division), and 10-12 (senior division).
In a year-long program, students work through each practice problem, conducting in depth research into each topic, and practice using the six-step model. They prepare and submit a booklet for evaluation, and our team at FPS independently reviews each booklet and providing constructive and detailed feedback.
Based on their performance in the third Practice Problem (Qualifying Problem), the top 10 - 15% of Junior, Middle and Senior participants qualify to participate in the National Finals, which are held in October each year. The champion and second-placed teams from this National Final are invited to represent Australia at the International FPS Final held in the USA in the following June.
For the cost of a single individual or team registration, teachers can gain access to all the program materials and can teach the program to as many students as they wish. (However, booklets can be evaluated only if a team/individual has been registered.) Additional registrations can be added throughout the year.
While the Global Issues Problem Solving provides the opportunity for students to test their problem solving skills against other students across Australian and Internationally, it is more than a competition. It teaches real-life skills and techniques that are widely used across a range of industries - commercial, government and NGOs.
