"The future depends on what you do today."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

We (Gus, Sam, Scarlett, Vanessa, Keaton and Nate) are fourth graders at Nisswa Elementary School  in Minnesota. We are also members of an academic competition team called Future Problem Solvers (FPS). The mission of FPS is to develop the ability of young people globally to design and promote positive futures through a 6-step problem solving process that uses critical thinking and creativity.

In our first year as members of FPS, we have competed in both a regional and a state competition against other 4th, 5th and 6th graders. This year was supposed to be our learning year (who would have expected a group of 4th graders to beat the upperclassmen?), but with the help of a fabulous coach and a lot of hard work, we beat the odds and won our state competition! This has earned us a spot at the International FPS competition  in Michigan this June (2016).

We estimate that it will cost our team plus two coaches and two alternates $8,000 to go. The money will be used for contest registration, travel, hotel and meals.

This opportunity will give 6 students from a small elementary school in northern Minnesota international exposure as they compete with other FPS teams from across the world. It will encourage us to keep thinking futuristically, and to keep developing our creative problem solving skills, something the world definitely needs.