Celebrating 50 Years of FPSPI with Executive Director April Michele
By: Heatherlynn Akins
Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024. Dr. E. Paul Torrance founded FPSPI in 1974 based on activities he and his wife Pansy introduced, and it has grown to an internationally beloved problem-solving program for students grades 4 through 12. We recently sat down with FPSPI Executive Director April Michele to discuss what makes FPSPI so successful and find out how they’re planning to celebrate 50 years of equipping problem-solving, ethical leaders.
Ms. Michele began her own career in education teaching elementary school and gifted education. While teaching, she was introduced to the benefits of Future Problem Solving and leading students to competition success. In 2012, she had the opportunity to serve FPSPI in an official capacity, and she hasn’t looked back. From developing curriculum and coordinating competition materials to serving in her current role as executive director, April has thoroughly enjoyed her time and experiences as part of a student-driven organization designed to promote students as leaders. “Our students inspire me and drive my work!” she says. This passion is clearly present in the challenging curriculum the FPSPI team has continued to develop during her time with the organization.
“I’ve taken my background in advanced curriculum studies, highly engaging learning techniques, and pedagogy and strategies for critical and creative thinking and applied them to the principles of FPSPI, along with [working with] an amazing, passionate team. I’m constantly amazed by the students in our program, and they’re the reason we’ve been around for 50 years,” Michele says. Which is why when it came time to think about how to commemorate 50 years of guiding and molding students to become creative, critical thinkers who can adapt and improvise well, FPSPI thought the best way to celebrate would be to create a program designed to reach even more students worldwide.
Enter the World Solution Challenge. Based on their flagship program, Global Issues Problem Solving, a school-year-long program designed to teach students to think creatively about the future through research, analysis, and teamwork, the World Solution Challenge will offer students in grades five through nine a dynamic experience and access to the problem-solving process. The World Solution Challenge can be offered as a before- or after-school option or incorporated by teachers as part of their curriculum. While any student in fifth through ninth grade can participate, regardless of whether they have ever been involved in FPSPI, the new challenge is designed to garner fresh interest and ease the onboarding process. “We hope that students will have a positive experience and find a passion for continuing to build their problem-solving skills,” says Michele.
FPSPI’s unique space as builders of problem-solving skills helped them navigate the recent pandemic. Michele is quick to give credit where it’s due: “We were able to stay strong through the pandemic because of the incredible support we received along the way—from our dedicated volunteers who took on tasks with no remuneration, the CARES Act, our generous supporters, and our dedicated staff.” Yet the resiliency that comes with strong problem-solving capabilities also played a part in keeping the organization going. “We were one of the few organizations I know of that was prepared to fully transition to this new socially distant reality, offering competitions with flexible options to fit competitors’ situations,” she says.
It’s another reason Michele is so passionate about FPSPI’s newest program. Knowing how important it was to remain connected to others during the COVID-19 pandemic, however we could, FPSPI has a renewed commitment to reach all students, especially those in rural communities. In the past 49 years, FPSPI competitors have tackled approximately 200 topics, from computers in 1977 to a robotic workforce in 2023, and the FPSPI legacy of nurturing creative problem-solvers is strong. It’s not a stretch to believe some FPSPI graduates (or current students) are well on their way to determining a more effective way for the world to navigate its next pandemic.
Though Michele started her official duties with FPSPI in 2012, she has been involved with the program in various capacities since 2003, including as an adult coach for her now-grown sons’ FPSPI competitive teams. Recently she shared that one of her favorite memories of her time with FPSPI didn’t come from the amazing things she and her team have accomplished at their Florida headquarters but from her own experience as an FPSPI mom and coach. “My son, Wesley, who competed in FPSPI from 4th-12th grades, called me to chat about his medical school experiences,” she says. “He related a story from his first clinical experience where the professor gave the students a patient situation and asked them to think about all the possible health concerns of the patient, determine the most pressing first, and develop a plan of care. For those who are familiar with FPSPI, I imagine you’re chuckling right now because this sounds exactly like our FPSPI problem-solving process! I love this example of how our work with students transfers into real-life, everyday skills. Being in a career that teaches thousands of students every year and also hearing from my own son how the program helps his life (and his future patients) are truly wonderful memories and precisely why I love what I do professionally.”
To learn more about the World Solutions Challenge, Global Issues Problem Solving, or FPSPI, visit their website or find them on Facebook.
Powerhouse partnered with FPSPI on marketing, launching, and creating resources in support of the World Solution Challenge. For more information on how Powerhouse Planning can help you develop your next program or campaign, grow your business, or plan your next event, click here.
