Future Problem Solving Internationals

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Future Problem Solving Internationals Reflections of our journey 2015-2018

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Aimee Lew After three years participating in the Future Problem Solving programme, my team and I have been able to experience countless special moments and achieve things such as 1st in New Zealand in 2016 and 4th in the world in 2017 for the Global Issues division.

This year we were able to represent New Zealand for a third time at the International Conference held at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. I am so incredibly grateful for the things I learned this year. The topic of criminal justice systems has extended my general knowledge in law and knowledge about technology, whilst the fluency, creativity and critical thinking needed to complete the booklet test will remain lifelong assets throughout my school, university and professional careers.

Everyone possesses an attitude of positivity, activism and empowerment. To be surrounded by individuals that are conscious of global issues and the role that youth play in implementing ethical, innovative and effective solutions is perhaps the most rewarding part of the conference. It inspires me to do better. It gives me hope for the future of the world. When our planet is faced with hundreds of alarming issues to which many people turn a blind eye, there is a group of people that instead tackle them head on. n They research the issues, confronting as it may be. n They create solutions that will most positively impact the future. n They are fluent, creative and critical thinkers. n They are FPSers. And I am very proud to be one of them.

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One thing that I enjoyed about the conference, and what keeps me coming back, is the attitude that surrounds the students, adjudicators and volunteers at FPSIC.

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Aimee Lew continued Being a part of FPS has opened up some incredible and unique opportunities for my team and I. We have been invited to the Hynds factory to observe the inner workings of the company and the production of their pipes. We presented at an EY internship dinner about the merits of the programme. We’ve met inspiring people like Pip Duncalf, who advocates for the immersion of students in the performing arts, and Sam Halse, an employee of multi-billion dollar company Adyen.

These experiences have provided us priceless knowledge of different industries, the value of social connection and ethical business.

Without the generous sponsorship of people such as John and Leonie Hynds, Pip Duncalf, EY and the Royal Society, our team would never have been able to compete overseas or be introduced to such valuable opportunities. The contributions we received have made all the difference in our FPS journey and for that, we are forever grateful.

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Okesene Fatu In year 9, a young, introverted me, was chosen as part of an extra-curricular activity that unbeknownst to me at the time, would not only change and help develop my creative and critical thinking, but open my eyes to the world beyond.

Future Problem Solving is a programme that involves teams; collaborating together in order to identify imminent challenges that pose threats in our future, generate creative and futuristic solutions and ultimately develop an action plan. Over the three years I've been involved with the programme, I've become more aware of the world around me, met amazing people from different backgrounds from all around the world and developed skills that will prove most valuable in a world to come.

The programme has offered many rewards and opportunities ‌ From being able to represent our school at the national competition throughout the entirety I was in the programme, to being able to travel and explore the United States and of course competing at the International Future Problem Solving Conference, excelling in the competition. I have felt much growth in terms of mindset.

It is with great remorse however, that this journey I embarked on in year 9, must come to an end, as I pursue other opportunities that are out there.

The programme has given me so much and I cannot express the amount of gratitude I have to all those who have been part of this amazing journey.

From my coaches Glenis Martin and Ambure Giborees, who continuously pushed me to succeed, Leanne Gibson who would always emcourage my team and I to put ourselves out there, and a massive thank you to our major sponsors Ernst Young, Pip Duncalf and the Hynds Family, as well as all those who offered any amount of financial support, which allowed my teammates and I to compete on the international stage.

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John Chen I joined the co-curricular activity Future Problem Solving in year 9 and have kept at it ever since. My involvement in FPS has opened many opportunities for myself and has enabled me to undergo significant personal growth, in leadership and academia.

Through 3 years of FPS, progressing to affiliate and international levels in each, I have been fortunate to participate in educational visits such as science and technology museums, universities, international alumni, and local sponsors - Hynds and EY. I believe that FPS has allowed me to grow holistically.

FPS revolves around a 2-hour written exam that examines competitors’ ability to think critically and creatively about emerging global issues (e.g. criminal justice systems, biosecurity, identity theft). This has enabled me to become a critical thinker with a greater understanding of global issues - skills that I believe are crucial in a constantly changing and increasingly innovative world.

This competition focuses largely on technological solutions, which has grown my passion for technology and enabled me to see how the industry can positively impact the world.

What makes FPS unique from other academic competitions is that it requires four individuals - who are all bound to have different viewpoints - to work collaboratively and collectively in the competition.

The group competition improved skills like delegation, communication, organisation, time management, and discipline - skills that I believe will prove valuable in today's global workplace.

FPS is a truly amazing competition but it is a massive commitment which, at times, poses challenges. The biggest challenge is time. FPS requires a great deal of time to be spent, both inside and outside of school time, on researching, gathering and memorising quotes, perfecting our exam process, and applying for financial assistance. It is because of this time commitment that, after much thought, I have decided to end my FPS journey after the 2018 FPSIC. I believe that FPS has taught me everything I could learn. Next year, I aim to spend more of my time on personal projects (website development, application development, animation, augmented reality etc.) so that I can put myself on a good path for life after high school. I believe that not continuing with FPS will provide me with the freedom in schedule in order to do so.

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John Chen continued I strongly recommend FPS for all students. FPS constantly challenges and pushes students to become active lifelong learners. I support the programme at our school and I hope it does get successfully implemented so that it fits into the school curriculum.

In conclusion …. Four South Auckland students representing New Zealand and placing fourth internationally is a scenario that we would've never thought to be able to experience. And yet this was made possible through the work and belief of incredible individuals and organisations: n

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Mr Salvatore Gargiulo and Mrs Trish Gargiulo who introduced it to the school, supported us in our first international conference, and continued to check up on us ever since.

Hynds, Pip Duncalf and EY for being our major financial sponsors whose generosity enabled us to compete on the global stage. I also want to give a special extra thanks to Mr John Hynds, alumni and board member of Manurewa High School, for providing us with work experience and financial assistance.

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Miss Giborees and Miss Gibson for being our chaperones in the last two international trips; and along with Mr Jones, Miss Laulu, Miss Lockie, and the support of Manurewa High School’s Board of Trustees - organising everything that was required.

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Mrs Martin: our coach for the last 3.5 years. The amount of work she has put into this team is phenomenal. Despite living on the opposite end of Auckland, she travels to our school week after week to tutor us. Without her experience and expertise, we would not have been able to excel in this competition.

It is eye-opening to look back on this journey and see just how many people have gotten behind our team in our pursuit for academic excellence. To these and the many more, thank you.

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Aaron Lew It has been 3.5 years now since I first started F.P.S. 3 National Finals and 3 International Conferences later, I remain incredibly grateful of the skills, experiences and memories F.P.S. has given me.

I know no other programme where young problem solvers from as far as Norway and Singapore, can connect through shared passions and shared aspirations.

The atmosphere is incredibly infectious. You can't help but meet new cultures and new people. I sat with new friends in dining halls, in lounges, and in game rooms.

We told jokes about our accents, made (light-hearted) fun of an America "descending into chaos" and exchanged stories of our cultures and our lives.

Instagram monikers were exchanged, a flood of selfies taken and an instant connection was forged across continents and oceans.

Our team has had its ups and downs. The highlight is obviously our 4th place in the world in 2017. In 2018, we came 13th. But no matter the result this year, our mistakes are what drives our learning - we can only be better prepared now for future successes having experienced those shortfalls.

As I go into my 4th (and final) year in F.P.S., I remain immensely grateful for the amazing opportunity made possible only through the generosity of people like John Hynds, EY and Pip Duncalf, who saw the potential in F.P.S. to create conscientious young leaders.

I can't be thankful enough for their incredible support financially and morally, considering they chose our story over many others. For them, I am determined to make the most of this invaluable experience - to place as highly as I know my drive for success will push me, to strengthen the connections already made, to build new bridges with new faces from new places, and to learn as much as I can, from a programme that arms me to become a leader of the future.