We've added new problem solving features, better team collaboration, and improved coach and evaluation pages, along with the unmatched digital creativity tools you've come to expect from MFPSP.
Registration Now Open. To register
click on the link on the "Registration Page "
Research, access, and complete FPS topics within a cloud-based, collaborative work environment.
Download FPS resources, manage teams, and follow the progress of your students.
Score booklets using the latest online evaluation tools.
Future Problem Solving (FPS ) is a terrific way to create more creative students and improve a youngster's oral and written communication, research, and teamwork skills. FPS challenges students to apply information they have learned to some of the most complex issues facing society. Students are asked to think, to make decisions and, in some cases, to carry out their solutions. FPS is a yearlong program, open to students in grades 4-12, in which teams of four students learn a six-step problem solving process which they can then use to solve social and scientific problems set in the future. At regular intervals, the teams submit their work online to evaluators, who review it and return it with suggestions for improvement. Teams participating in the competitive aspect of the program will complete the third problem at a Qualifying Bowl in February. The top teams in the state are invited to the State Bowl in March, where they compete for the opportunity to represent Massachusetts at the International FPS Conference. Most schools participate in the team competition. Teachers can also incorporate the FPS process into curriculum units in the classroom, or participate in the Community Problem Solving, Scenario Writing or Scenario Performance components of the program. We invite you to learn more about the program by watching the video below or by contacting one of our Co-Affilaite Directors:
Bob Cattel, Co-Affiliate Director
Email: bob.cattel@gmail.com
Phone (617) 834-4743
Renée Hanscom, Co-Affiliate Director
Email: rmhanscom1@verizon.net
Phone: (781) 799-4826
For more infromation about Future Problem Solving Program International in Melbourne Florida, contact April Michele at (321) 768-0074 or check out their website www.fpspi.org
To purchase Resources/Tools and yearly Program Materials related to the Future Problem Solving Program International go to www.fpspimart.org.
| 2025 | ||||
| Fall 2025 | Registration - Early Bird by October 31'st. Final Registration - December 31'st | |||
| October 18 | Evaluation Review Session | |||
| October 24 | PP#1 Due: Invasive Species | |||
| October 25 | Evaluation for PP#1: Invasive Species | |||
| December 19 | PP#2 Due: Space Exploration | |||
| December 20 | Evaluation for PP#2: Space Exploration | |||
| December 31 | Final registration deadline for all components | |||
| December 31 | Community Projects Project Proposals Due | |||
| 2026 | ||||
| January 17 | Creative Writing and Storytelling Entries Due | |||
| January 24 | Evaluation for Creative Writing and Storytelling | |||
| February 4 - 8 | Qualifying Problem Competition | |||
| Locatons: T.B.D | ||||
| Topic: Video Games | ||||
| February 14 | Evaluation for Qualifying Problem: Video Games | |||
| March 6 | Community Projects Project Reports Due | |||
| March 7 | Evaluation for Community Projects Project Proposals and Reports | |||
| March 28 | Affiliate Final (State Bowl) | |||
| Topic: Surveillance | ||||
| Location: Clark University | ||||
| March 29 | Evaluation for Affiliate Final (State Bowl): Surveillance | |||
| June 10 - 14 | FPSPI World Finals | |||
| Location: Indiana University Bloomington | ||||
| Topic: (To be announced March 1, 2026) | ||||
Invasive species are non-native organisms that, when introduced to a new environment, can cause harm to native ecosystems, biodiversity, and even economic activities. Due to a lack of natural competitors or predators, these species often outcompete or prey upon native plants and animals, disrupting the delicate balance of local ecosystems. Invasive species can be plants, animals, or microorganisms, and they are typically introduced through human activities, such as trade, travel, or deliberate release.
The impacts of invasive species are far-reaching and can result in habitat degradation, loss of native species, and economic losses in agriculture and forestry. Prevention, early detection, and management efforts may lessen the damage caused by the invasive species. Management includes the removal of invasive species and restoration of affected ecosystems. This can be time-consuming, economically punishing, and not always successful. It is a critical challenge in conservation and environmental management, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and responsible practices to protect the integrity of natural environments.
Space exploration involves the investigation, discovery, and utilization of outer space, including celestial bodies like planets, moons, and stars. It uses spacecraft, satellites, and telescopes to observe and study the universe. It also includes missions to explore, land on, and perhaps even establish a human presence on other celestial bodies.
Space exploration has yielded remarkable scientific discoveries, including understanding the universe’s origins, the search for extraterrestrial life, and technological developments such as advancements in materials, computing, and telecommunications. Government space agencies and private companies worldwide are engaged in ongoing collaborative efforts to explore the vastness of space. Space exploration promises to unravel some of the universe’s greatest mysteries while pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and achievement.
Video games are a popular form of entertainment and interactive media that have evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry. They encompass various digital experiences, from action-packed adventures and strategy games to immersive simulations and educational tools. Video games are typically played on computers, gaming consoles, or mobile devices and involve players engaging with digital worlds, characters, and challenges.
Video games offer diverse experiences, from competitive eSports competitions to solo adventures and social experiences where players collaborate or compete with others online. Video games have become a significant cultural phenomenon, with a global fan base and dedicated communities. They are even recognized as art forms. These games continue to push the boundaries of technology, storytelling, and creativity, influencing not only entertainment but also fields like education, cognitive science, and virtual reality.
Surveillance is the systematic and continuous monitoring, observation, or tracking of individuals, groups, or activities, often conducted by governments, businesses, organizations, or individuals. Surveillance uses various methods, including electronic surveillance, video monitoring, data collection, and even physical surveillance by law enforcement or intelligence agencies.
Surveillance can serve legitimate purposes such as public safety, national security, and crime prevention, but it also raises significant privacy and civil liberty concerns. In the digital age, issues surrounding surveillance have become increasingly complex, as personal data and online behaviors are subject to investigation by both public and private entities. The struggle to balance between security and privacy is an ongoing debate, with discussions focused on defining the limits, legality, and ethical implications of surveillance practices, especially in the context of technology and the digital landscape.
Global Issues is the Individual / Team competition component of the program and is open to students in grades 4-12. An Individual student or Teams of up to four students learn the six-step future problem solving process which they then apply, along with their research on specific topics, to solve social and scientific problems. With the six-step FPS process, students are presented with a "Future Scene", which is a story set at least 20 years into the future. For the first step, students brainstorm challenges that the Future Scene presents. This step helps students refine their critical and creative thinking skills. The second step has the students focus one or more challenges generated in step one down to a clearly written problem statement referred called an Underlying Problem. In step three students brainstorm solution ideas intended on solving the Underlying Problem. In steps four and five, the students generate criteria used to evaluate their step three solutions. In step six the students take the top rated solution from step five and develop a detailed action plan.
Students using the six-step process develop brainstorming and focusing skills while working cooperatively and collaboratively in groups. GIPS Individuals and Teams work on two practice problems during the Fall and early Winter each year. Then in February, those students will complete a Qualifying Problem in two hours without their coach's assistance. GIPS Individuals and Teams who receive the highest evaluation for their Qualifying Problem will be invited to compete at the State Bowl in March.
The three grade level divisions are:
• Junior Division: Grades 4-6
• Middle Division: Grades 7-9
• Senior Division: Grades 10-12
In October and December, GIPS Individuals and Teams will either complete an online booklet. Trained evaluators will review the booklets and return the evaluated booklets to the coaches / students with suggestions for improvement.
As mentioned before in February, students complete a Qualifying Problem (QP) in one two-hour time period without assistance from their coach. The top teams in the state -- based on responses to the QP -- are invited to the State Bowl in March, where they compete for the opportunity to represent Massachusetts at the International FPS Conference.
Fee:
$55 for Individual Problem Solvers (Internet)
$140 per team
for Internet Teams (Early Birds $120 until October 31, 2025)
Deadline for submitting first practice problem: October 24, 2025
Final registration deadline: December 31, 2025
Community Projects individuals and teams identify a local or global problem, and work with community leaders and residents to research the problem and implement solutions. As an example, Leominster students have worked with town officials to explore the feasibility of a sludge composting plant, which would save the cost of trucking sludge to Fitchburg. Funds saved could pay for methane gas recovery from the closed landfill and other civic projects.
Any coach who has participated in the FPS program or who has completed a FPS training session may coach a CmPS individual or team. Up to 15 (fifteen) students may be members of a CmPS team.
Fee:
$55 for an individual
$135 per team
Deadline for submitting Project Proposal: December 31, 2025
Deadline for submitting Project Report: March 6, 2026
Creative Writing gives students the opportunity to combine their problem solving and creative writing talents. Individual students are invited to write scenarios (short stories with a maximum length of 1500 words) set at least 20 years in the future and based on one of the topics for the current competition season.
Fee:
$30 per student entry
Deadline for Creative Writing entries: January 17, 2026
The Storytelling program provides an opportunity to create and present an original oral narrative based on one of the topics for the current competition season. Students learn to thoroughly research a real world issue and then imagine possible outcomes of future actions or events.
Storytellers develop a creative, futuristic narrative to entertain and inform listeners. The Storytelling program strives to help students enlarge, enrich, and make more accurate their image of the future, while refining their composition skills. Instead of writing out the story in full, students tell their story in a more natural oral performance.
Fee:
$30 per student entry
Deadline for submitting Storytelling videos: January 17, 2026
The following video is the Middle Division 1st Place Storytelling champion from last year's International Conference.
Click Here to Register for FPS team competition and other MassFPS programs
