Brainerd Area Future Problem Solvers are state champions

Brainerd Area Future Problem Solvers posing for a photo. — Brainerd Area Future Problem Solvers include Violet Anderson, left, a seventh grader at Forestview Middle School; Scarlett Anderson, an 11th grader at Brainerd High School; Callista Anderson, a ninth grader at Brainerd High School; and Vanessa Anderson, an 11th grader at Brainerd High School.

By Dispatch staff report

April 23, 2023 at 2:57 PM

BRAINERD — The Brainerd Lakes Area Future Problem Solvers are state champions again.

They will be representing Minnesota at the International Competition at University of Massachusetts Amherst in June and will compete with the best Future Problem Solvers from 37 states and 14 countries. The international topic is currency.

“Future Problem Solving teaches students how to think, not what to think, and our Brainerd Future Problem Solvers have proven they are the best thinkers in the state,” team coaches Sheila Johnston and Marcy Byrns said in a news release.

There are so many fun topics that you cover in FPS and I love how it’s always something brand new.

Callista Anderson

Three Future Problem Solving teams and four individual competitors representing the Brainerd area competed March 25 in the Minnesota State Future Problem Solving competition. The students competed in both the Global Issues Problem Solving Competition and the Presentation of Action Plan Competition.

There will be seven students from Brainerd representing Minnesota at the International Future Problem Solving competition this year.

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In the senior division, Scarlett Anderson was the individual Global Issues Problem Solving competition state champion, earning her an international invitation, and Vanessa Anderson placed second.

“The topics throughout the years have been a lot of fun, each one has been interesting in a different way and they all provide a unique perspective that you can learn from,” Scarlett Anderson said.

Vanessa Anderson added: “The International competition has always been really enjoyable for me, because I get the opportunity to meet other people my age from across the globe who share a passion for solving the problems of our future.”

Brainerd Area Future Problem Solver Owen Byrns. — Brainerd Area Future Problem Solver Owen Byrns, a ninth grader at Brainerd High School.

In the middle division, Owen Byrns placed first in the performance of action plan on a combined Brainerd High School/St. Cloud high school. He will also be representing Minnesota competing in the Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Problem Solving competition middle division competition at internationals.

Also in the middle division, Callista Anderson placed first in the individual competition and her sister Violet Anderson placed third. Callista Anderson earned an invitation to internationals.

In the junior division, Justus Anderson, Isaac Mattson and Tucker Hanson placed first in Global Issues Problem Solving competition and earned an invitation to the International Future Problem Solving competition.

In the novice junior division, the team of Samuel Sundbeg, Norman Majka and Samuel Porter placed first in Global Issues Problem Solving competition and placed first in the presentation of an action plan for their division. Samuel Sundberg will join the team of Mattson, Justus Anderson and Tucker Hanson to compete in the Global Issues Problem Solving competition at Internationals. Norman Majka and Samuel Porter will also be attending internationals and competing in the Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Problem Solving competition, in which they will join a team with students from other states and countries to compete.

Johnston and Byrns said they are always looking for interested students to grow the Future Problem Solving Program in the Brainerd area After learning the six-step FPS process, students work in teams or individually to apply it to real world problems that are relevant today and into the future. Each year, students research and analyze four topics.

The topics cover the areas of business and economics, science and technology, and society and politics. The program involves thousands of students annually from around the world, and four competitive programs are offered for students in grades 4-12 — Global Issues Problem Solving, Community Problem Solving, Scenario Writing, and Visual Arts.

“One thing I love about FPS is all the interesting topics I get to learn about,” Callista Anderson said. “There are so many fun topics that you cover in FPS and I love how it’s always something brand new. Throughout the years I’ve learned so much from doing FPS and it’s helped me grow to become a better writer. In addition, it’s really helped implement the skills I’ve used in my academic life at school, setting a good foundation of learning. Not only is it a great program for educational purposes, but you also get to meet a bunch of new people and I even met some of my best friends through it. FPS is such an amazing program and to anyone thinking about joining, I would definitely encourage it!”

To learn how your child can participate, contact Marcy Byrns, 404-668-6375 or by email at marcybyrns@gmail.com ; or Sheila Johnston at 612-226-6571.

Those looking to support the Future Problem Solvers' team to attend internationals can send cash or check to Brainerd Community Action, 321 S Seventh St., Suite 105, Brainerd, MN 56401; or donate online at https://tinyurl.com/59sj6642 .

To learn more, visit www.mnfpsp.org and www.fpspi.org .

By Dispatch staff report

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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