Florida's Future
Problem Solving Program Web Site (FLFPSP)
Florida Future Problem
Solving Program
Community Problem
Solving Component
How
do
I
register
students
with CmPS?
All CmPS materials are available free of charge on the Florida FPSP
website (www.flfpsp.org).Please download the materials packet, which
includes guidelines
for
submission, summaries of recent CmPS projects, coaching techniques, and
official entry sheets.A project fee is
submitted along with the entry materials that must include the
following: a
written report, addendum pages, and a scrapbook as described in the
materials
packet.This year’s postmark date is
included on the website.
What
is
Community
Problem
Solving?
Community
Problem
Solving (CmPS) is a group or individual
activity I which students identify real problems in the school or
community and
implement real solutions.Students use
the steps and skills of the problem solving process from the Future
Problem
Solving Program as they work on the project.However, since real life is not always as
organized as an
academic
exercise, the process may not proceed neatly from step one through step
six.Also, projects may take more than
one year to actually complete.
Why
Community
Problem
Solving?
Today’s
students
will be running the word in the 21st
century.What better way to prepare them
to do so than my teaching them to think systematically about
problematic situations,
to gather information, to understand the situation, and to evaluate
multiple
solutions in order to best address the situation?Students
involved
in
CmPS
learn
very powerful
lessons about creating change, about dealing with local authorities and
organizations,
and about making an impact.The
implementation of real solutions gives students a strong sense of
accomplishment and helps them to se the practical applications of the
presses
and skills that they have been learning.
Who
can
participate
in
CmPS?
Students
may
participate in CmPS in three divisions: Junior
(grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12).Having a background in the Global Issues
Problem Solving Component, the Curricular Component, or Action Based
Problem
Solving is a great start for students in CmPS, but it is not required.If they have not been involved with FPS,
students to need to be taught the problem solving process as part of
their
community problem solving experience.CmPS can be pursued as an extracurricular
activity or as pat of
the
regular school curriculum.
What
is
the
composition
for
team CmPS?
An
individual
CmPS project is executed by one person.A
team project can be any size.You would
probably want at least 3 or 4
students on a team; and for large projects, groups of 15 or more are
possible.Since CmPS projects are
usually long-term activities lasting up to a year or more, student need
to be
committed to following through with the activity.Complex
projects
may
take
quite
a bit of
organization with tasks divided among participants.Currently here is a 15-member team limit to
the number of CmPS students who can attend the International;
Conference (IC);
therefore, if your team exceeds 15 students, some of them may not
attend IC as
CmPS members.
How can I get
started with my students?
Training
in the FPS creative problem solving
process is very
important for coaches of CmPS.Workshops
are usually scheduled during the fall.If you are not able to attend a training,
resources are
available to
assist you as you train yourself.Order
a Coach’s Handbook and the CmPS Handbook from the FPSPI Catalog
(1-800-256-1499
or www.fpspi.org).Also available are The Kid’s Guide to Service
Projects and other resources available there.Read and study these guides carefully, then
contact the Florida
coordinator with any questions.If you
wish, we can put you in touch with other adults who have coached CmPS
teams.
How are CmPS
projects evaluated?
Several
state evaluators read CmPS projects in
early
March.The aspects they consider
include: the overview of the project, the implementation of the action
plan,
the supporting documentation, and the scrapbook.Teams
and
individuals with completed projects
in each division are invited to attend the State Competition to set up
a visual
display and give an oral presentation about the project.First place teams and individuals will
advance to the International Conference (IC).Second place teams and individuals may be
invited as well.
CmPS reinforces the “WHY” in community service:
The
self-satisfaction felt by students involved in
CmPS is
evidence in itself that the project was worthwhile and fulfilling.Attaining advancement to IC and the possible
recognition that may follow will reinforce that the decision to coach a
CmPS
team or individual this year was a good one.The satisfying completion of a CmPS project
will remain with
your
students for a lifetime and serve as a foundation to enhance their
adult
lives.We look forward to helping in any
way we can with your project.
Page 1 - "Pre IC
Conference" is used for the 6 page report and 6 page addendum submitted
for the Florida State Bowl.
Page 2 - "On Site IC" is use ON SITE at the Florida State Bowl.
Please be sure to click on the links
at the
bottom of the page for pictures of the
International Conference CmPS Fair
and CmPS Websites
Here's a bit
more on CmPS...some repetitive but important.
What is
Community Problem
Solving?
Community Problem
Solving is problem
solving in action.
It offers challenges to
learning that are
seldom realized utilizing traditional "book learning" by providing a
vehicle for students to take hands-on action as they apply their
problem solving skills to real community problems.
How does
the program work?
CmPS bridges the gap
between school and
the
real world. During the school year, teams use the problem solving
process to identify a significant need area in the school, local,
state, national, or global community.
After researching the
problem area,
students brainstorm ways to overcome the problem and create a plan of
action.
Projects can be
submitted for preliminary
evaluation in the January and for final evaluation and scoring in March
to the Florida Future Problem Solving State Office.
What are
the benefits?
As teams begin to
implement their plan,
students develop talents and abilities that they may never have
uncovered prior to
working on their community service project.
Valuable life skills
are learned such
as
public speaking, decision making, time management, how to work
interdependently within a group, and how to participate effectively in
society.
CmPS provides
opportunities for
the
development of a lasting partnership between the school and community
as
it encourages students to become a generation of caring
citizens.
Students develop a positive self-image and a sense of belonging as they
gain
confidence in their abilities
What are
the Community
Problem
Solving Program goals?
Community Problem
Solving Program goals
are
to provide students with the opportunity to:
1. develop their
creative thinking
abilities
2. increase their
awareness of situations
around them
3. learn and utilize
problem solving
strategies
4. learn and utilize
decision making
skills
5. understand
relationships between
problem
solving strategies and decision making
6. increase
communication skills
7. develop and expand
research techniques
8. develop goal setting
and fulfillment
9. develop and use
teamwork skills
It has been
discovered by coaches
utilizing
CmPS that it is easier for students to understand, focus on, and commit
to
a "real" concern.
In Community Problem
Solving there is
something for everyone: research, writing, working, making contacts,
designing, etc. Coaches have enjoyed working with whole
classrooms on a single project as
well as dividing students into smaller groups and working on several
problems.
What is the
Community Problem
Solving process?
There are five
essential elements
included in a CmPS project:
1. The Area
of Concern:
A description of the
situation stating
its
significance to the community and the team. 2. Challenges
Identified:
A clear description of
the many
challenges
the community is facing. Students should look at issues that
caused
the concern as well as those that are a result of the situation.
3. Underlying
Problem:
Shows direct relevance
to the area of
concern. Teams should clearly communicate the goals or desired
outcomes of the project. 4. Alternative
Solution Ideas:
Should directly relate
to the Underlying
Problem and be clearly explained. 5. Description
of the Plan of
Action:
A thorough description
of the plan before
implementation has begun, communicating the plan of action.
How are the
projects
evaluated?
In Community Problem
Solving, three
divisions based on grade level are identified: Junior
Division: Grades 4, 5
&
6 Intermediate
Division: Grades 7, 8
&
9 Senior
Division: Grades 10, 11
& 12
Teams are evaluated
with other teams
of
the same division with projects from the same category (Civic/Cultural
Issues,
Environmental Concerns, Health Concerns, Human Services or Education).
Projects are
reviewed by trained
evaluators
multiple criteria examining the description of the problem and proposed
solution(s), implementation and results of the action plan and the
supporting information provided with the project.
(Click on
the link below
the see
the picture, then click "back" on your browser)
