Volunteer Opportunities

Coach

It is not necessary to be a teacher to coach Future Problem Solving. Teachers, retired teachers, parents, and community volunteers are all welcome to participate. As a coach, it is your job to motivate and train students to use the six-step problem solving process. By training students in the program, you are encouraging students to think about the future. You are also providing them with a set of tools that they will be able to apply to life's many challenges. Contact your local Affiliate Director for information on becoming a coach.

Monitor

Volunteers are needed to monitor students during competitions that occur on-site. The monitor, is there to ensure student integrity during the competition. They are also there to supervise the event and answer general questions for the students. Contact your local Affiliate Director for information on volunteering to monitor during competitions.

Skit (Presentation of Action Plan) Judge

After competing in the Global Issues competition, students present their action plan in a skit. This portion of the competition provides students the opportunity to bring their futuristic ideas to life. Students create their skit using an assigned list of props. They are judged on creativity, completeness, and communication of ideas. Volunteers are needed to serve on the panel of judges. Contact your local Affiliate Director for information on volunteering to judge.

International Conference Volunteer

Every year, local/state/country champions come together for the International Conference. It takes the assistance from countless volunteers to make the conference a success. Volunteers provide their own transportation and Future Problem Solving provides room/board. Contact april@fpspi.org for more information on helping out at this year’s International Conference.

Writing Opportunities

A critical component of Global Issues Problem Solving is the Future Scene. Authors are chosen and placed into teams of three. Once groups are formed, members interact, bouncing ideas back and forth until they come up with their Future Scene story line. It is up to the writing team to come up with a creative and futuristic problem for students to solve using the problem solving process. Contact allison@fpspi.org for more information on becoming a member of a future scene writing team.

Evaluator Opportunities

All evaluators must certify in the components they wish to evaluate. After successfully evaluating for your Affiliate Program level, you may be nominated to certify as an International Evaluator with an opportunity to evaluate at International Conference. Contact kyla@fpspi.org for information on this certification.

Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) Evaluator

In GIPS, participants apply the six-step process to generate challenges and propose solution ideas related to the Future Scene. Using guidelines provided by the international office, evaluators score participant booklets. Participants look forward to the feedback received from evaluators because it provides them the opportunity to improve their problem solving skills in hopes of reaching the next level in competition. Contact your local Affiliate Program for more information on becoming a GIPS evaluator.

Community Problem Solving (CmPS) Evaluator

The Community Problem Solving component allows students to apply the problem solving process to their community. Evaluators for this component evaluate teams in multiple stages. Evaluation of Community Problem Solving includes many aspects: project proposal, project report, promotional video, display, portfolio, and interview. Contact your local Affiliate Program for more information on becoming a CmPS evaluator.

Scenario Writing (SW) Evaluator

In the scenario writing competition, students write a creative short story relating to one of the annual topics. This competition allows students the opportunity to bring the futuristic ideas to life in their own, creative way. As an evaluator, you are asked to consider aspects ranging from style and mechanics to creativity. Contact your Affiliate Program for more information on becoming a scenario evaluator.

Scenario Performance (ScP) Evaluator

In the Scenario Performance competition, each student performs a live story relating to one of the annual topics. This competition allows students the opportunity to bring the futuristic ideas they create to an oral story for an audience. Contact your Affiliate Program for more information on becoming a scenario evaluator.

Volunteers are a driving force for the Future Problem Solving Program!

Below are some of the ways you can volunteer all year long for Future Problem Solvers: