New Jersey Future Problem Solvers

About Us

Our Organization

The Future Problem Solving Program of New Jersey, Inc. is an accredited Affiliate of the Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) and operates as a nonprofit corporation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the New Jersey State region. 

The New Jersey Future Problem Solving Program, Inc., has provided the platform and guidance to students to enrich their creative problem solving skills for more than thirty years. Founded in 1974 by creativity pioneer, Dr. E. Paul Torrance, Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles.

 FPSPI engages students in creative problem solving within the curriculum and provides competitive opportunities. Future Problem Solving Program International involves thousands of students annually from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, and the United States.


Our Mission

The Future Problem Solving Program (FPSP) teaches students HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

We are dedicated to enriching young people's lives by providing them with the necessary creative problem solving foundations and skills. Through comprehensive guidance and rigorous competition, we hope to give students in New Jersey a set of tools which allow them critically identify problems and strategically develop viable solution plans. 

NJFPS gives students an opportunity to evaluate futuristic scenarios as well as identify local challenges present in their own communities. The competitive nature of our program encourages students to not only generate innovative solution plans after analysis, but to implement the solutions in a sustainable and measurable way. NJFPS is dedicated to providing students with skills which are invaluable to their academic and professional careers.

Benefits of FPS include

  • Improvement in written and verbal communication
  • Improvement in critical, creative and problem solving skills
  • Development of research skills
  • Experience in application of process tools and method to real world problems
  • Encouragement of self-directed learning and responsibility
  • Stimulation of students’ knowledge and interest in the future
  • Development of teamwork skills
  • Promotion of decision-making skills



Who Can Participate?

By learning the FPS six step process, students develop critical and creative thinking as well as problem solving and decision making skills. This helps students to improve their academic and social achievement In addition, the six step problem-solving model when integrated into the lives of the students, gives them a competitive edge when applying for jobs and building sustainable futures.

The New Jersey Future Problem Solving Program is open to all students in grades K-12 or equivalent school year levels. A school affiliation is not required to participate in the program. Home schoolers or community teams in school districts where FPS is not offered are also encouraged to join the program. Annually, over 250,000 students from around the world participate in Future Problem Solving Program activities. 

Concept Behind FPS

The Future Problem Solving Program teaches a six step approach which serves as a dynamic framework for creative thinking processes: 

  1. Identify Challenges Related to the Future Scene.
  2. Select an Underlying Problem
  3. Produce Solution Ideas to the Underlying Problem
  4. Generate and Select Criteria to Evaluate Solution Ideas
  5. Evaluate Solution Ideas to Determine the Better Action Plan
  6. Develop an Action Plan

Divisions


Students can participate in one of four divisions in the competitive NJFPS components: 

  • Junior Division: grades 4 - 6
  • Middle Division: grades 7 - 9
  • Senior Division: grades 10 – 12
  • Adult Division: Post High School

Students in the Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS) component will compete in the following competitions yearly. The topics for each of the competitions are chosen by students on the international level by vote and change annually.

  • Practice Problem # 1
  • Practice Problem # 2
  • Qualifying Problem
  • State Conference
  • International Conference

Students or Coaches who would like to register to be a participant in the program should click here.