Why FPSP?

FPS is an international educational program that emphasizes critical, analytical and creative thinking skills for students of all ages. One of the primary goals of FPS is to assist young people in developing the skills necessary to identify challenges and develop positive solutions for those problems. Students apply these skills to some of the most important issues that face the world today and will continue to in the future. FPS materials are designed to teach students how to think, not what to think. Specifically students develop skills to:

1. think creatively, critically, analytically and futuristically about issues

2. develop an active and informed interest in the future

3. improve both oral and written communication skills

4. solve problems using a six step process

5. work cooperatively with their peers

6. learn about complex issues confronting our increasingly global society

7. develop research skills

In order to achieve its goals, students have the opportunity to participate in the FPS process in a number of ways. While emphasizing different aspects of the process each of the following components has the objectives of FPS at their core. These components include:

• The booklet program – as teams or individuals – students consider situations set at least twenty years in the future and then employ the six-step process to brainstorm challenges, solutions, criteria and develop an action plan

• Scenario writing – individual – focusing on one of the competition topics, students develop short stories evaluated for creative and futuristic thinking

• Community problem solving – team or individual – gives students the chance to apply the problem solving skills they have learned to real life problems in their community and learn the value of volunteering and giving back to their community

• Action-based problem solving – teams/classrooms – developed for students K-6, it allows students to work in large groups to learn the problem solving process while learning about the world around them (this component is non-competive)