Published on: 21 June 2018






A team of boys from our Preparatory School recently returned from the United States where they competed in the Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI).

The team of 12, comprising of three Year 6s and nine Year 7s, participated in the Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) component of the competition held in Wisconsin, where participants in teams of four research a series of global topics and learn a six-step creative problem solving process. Problem solvers then apply their topic and creative problem solving knowledge to address an imagined situation, termed Future Scene.

On final placing, our teams ranked 22, 32 and 43 out of a total 63 international teams.

“This interdisciplinary program promotes skills to overcome obstacles or barriers when confronting challenges and developing solutions to social, political, scientific, economic and technological issues. Furthermore, it promotes interpersonal communication, ethical leadership and responsible group membership through its various components,” says Co-ordinator of the Centre for Excellence, Victoria Wisker.

While in the US, the boys also enjoyed the opportunity to visit the city of Dallas and its local attractions including the Dallas Art Museum, Texas School Book Depository, Six Flags theme park and watch a live baseball game.

Year 7 participant Gourab Sharma said “This trip was an eye opener with things that made us step out of our comfort zone and try our very best. We met many people from locations none of us knew, such as Nebraska. It was one of the greatest times of my life and I would say it was the same for all of us. Most of the things we did, we did together.”

Read more about the School’s Centre for Excellence and its opportunities for boys, here.