We are pleased to share recent academic achievements from our Future Problem Solvers (FPS)! Students in grades 4–8 have been participating in Future Problem Solvers as part of the district’s highly capable services program. In FPS, students work in teams of three or four to research a topic, analyze a scenario set 20–40 years in the future, identify multiple challenges, determine an underlying problem, generate solutions, develop evaluation criteria, assess their solutions, and turn the strongest option into an actionable plan.
This year’s competition topics included invasive species, space exploration, video games, and surveillance. Eleven elementary and middle school students qualified for the state championship and traveled to Camp Warm Beach for three days of competition, learning, and team-building activities. The Future Problem Solvers League is an open league, meaning students compete against public and private school teams of all sizes from across Washington.
Fourth grader Hailey Martin and fifth graders Maggie Arvizu-Mascorro, Josie Henderson, and Maya Messerschmidt competed in the junior division team competition. Eighth graders Bailey Messerschmidt, Miles Lipton-McKinstray, and Alexis Bryant competed in the middle division.
Eighth graders Patrick Hill and Charlotte Hill, along with fifth graders William Hitchcock and Gunnar McCurdy, represented the district in the MAGIC competition, where each student was grouped with three peers from across the state to form a new team and compete collaboratively. Gunnar McCurdy and his team placed second in the state in the junior division MAGIC competition, while Charlotte Hill’s team placed third.
The district is extremely proud of these students for their hard work, collaboration, and achievement at the state level. Prior to departure, the team was honored with a State Send-Off organized in partnership with the local fire department, recognizing their accomplishments and wishing them success in the competition. The district is grateful for the continued support of the community in celebrating and encouraging student achievement!