Westonka Future Problem Solvers Compete at State

By Lorrie Ham

A total of 23 Grandview sixth-graders competed in the Future Problem Solvers State Bowl on April 6 in Forest Lake. Congratulations to Carsten Doepnerhove for advancing to Internationals by placing second in the individual competition. Miko Buenk took third in individuals.

Also placing at state for novice teams were Allen Soley, Ian Caufield and Harrison Stokes, who earned first-place, and Brianna Boroughs, Taylor Smith, and Sydney Ryan, who finished second. 

Future Problem Solving is an international and Minnesota organization for students in grades 4-12. At Grandview, it is offered as a class during the second trimester and during some Morning Meeting enrichment sessions.

As they prepare for competition, participants receive practice problems and conduct research on the specific competition topic. In addition, they learn how to use the Future Problem Solving six-step model to complete the problem and how to produce the six-step booklet and engage in activities on the topic. The topic for the state competition was Ocean Soup – about plastic pollution in the ocean.

Julie Taintor teaches the Grandview Future Problem Solving class and coaches the teams. Taintor explained that the booklet process consists of 16 challenges surrounding a topic and future scene. Students are asked to take one topic and write it into an underlying problem, create 16 solutions for this problem, and then write five criteria to evaluate their eight best solutions. The solution that scores the highest using the criteria is written into a detailed action plan, according to Taintor.

”These students worked really hard this year researching various topics and developing 21st century skills,” said Taintor. “I am very proud of what they have accomplished.”