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Future Looks Bright for NBIS 'Future Problem Solvers'

With two teams making it to states, and one placing second to qualify for the international conference for the first time in club history, the future looks bright for Future Problem Solvers (FPS) of North Branford Intermediate School (NBIS).

NBIS teacher Richard Burke helped establish the school's FPS club and has been leading it for a total of six years, including the last four successive years. The club meets at NBIS one day a week during the school year.

"They learn problem solving skills, group skills, writing skills and research skills," said Burke.

With some returning members in the mix to add experience and cut the learning curve, Burke set a goal to make it to the state contest this spring. This year's club exceeded his expectations.

"My goal as a club and a coach this year was to have one team qualify to go to the states," he said. "We had two teams qualify; and one of them placed second in the middle division, so that team was able to go on to the international competition."

By FPS program rules, middle school teams can include students in grades six through nine. NBIS international conference qualifying team members were Rebecca Sabetta (grade 9), seventh-graders Connor Leete and Taylor Kamienski and Tara Salani-Bathija (grade 6).

They traveled with Burke to Michigan State University in Lansing, MI to join FPS's International Conference (June 1 – June 5). The team entered the conference's Global Issues Problem solving competition.

"Their topic was 'Energy of the Future' and their solution to the assigned scenario was something they named 'Darwin's Finch'... an electronic bush that recaptured CO2 from the atmosphere," said Burke.

The NBIS team competed among 70 teams working on the same topic. While NBIS didn't get selected as one of the top ten teams, they did come away thrilled with the interaction and learning experience.

"It was incredible level of engagement and excitement, and to be at a college, and stay on Michigan State's campus, was a great experience. It was very rewarding and enriching," said Burke. "Not a lot of teams even go to the states; so the fact that they earned an invitation to the international conference is amazing."

This year, 2000 kids from all over the globe arrived in Michigan for the conference.

"On the eve of the competition, they all got together and shared mementos. Our team met kids from places including Singapore, England, Australia and from states all over the country," said Burke.

The NBIS team gave away magnets with team logos and lanyards and took home piles of swapped mementos.

"It was the first time that I have been there with a team, but Connecticut has always had contingent," Burke said, "There are other people that have been doing this for many, many years in Connecticut; and some of them took home trophies."

FPS got its start 47 years ago in Florida and has evolved to a worldwide program challenging students from across the globe each school year. Students who work on solving FPS-issued problems presented in scenarios set 35 years in the future.

"They all learn a six-step problem solving process and they're given four different topics every year," Burke explained. "Teams of four students complete what we call a booklet based on a future scene about each topic."

The first step is always to identify 16 problems from the scenario they're given, he said.

"Then they need to find the one big underlying problem; and the third step is to solve that underlying problem 16 ways," Burke explained. "From there, they develop criteria to identify the best solution, then a mathematical grid that identifies the best solution based on criteria; and then they make an action plan to apply the solution."

At the state level, the competing NBIS teams also went on to present their solutions in skit form. In addition Sabetta, Leete, Kamienski and Salani-Bathija, other NBIS students that participated in the club throughout the year were eight graders Allison Wang and Allie Cordero, seventh-grader Elisabeth D'Albero and sixth graders Zachary Chittenden and Brianni Berrios.

Burke said he hopes to see the club grow to include even more NBIS students next year.

"Anybody who's interested can do it," he said. "It's a sport for the brain."