The Examiner U-46 News Feed

IFPS Bowl event winners recognized by U-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46, at its Monday, Sept. 9 meeting, recognized eight students for their first-place finishes at the Illinois Future Problem Solving Bowl (IFPS).
  The winners included both team and individual wins in both the senior and middle divisions, and they came from various schools in the district. They were coached by Ellen Smith, a now retired teacher from Streamwood’s Glenbrook Elementary School.
  “The Illinois Future Problem Solving Bowl is associated with Future Problem Solving Program International, an organization that seeks to develop the ability of young people to design and achieve positive futures through problem solving using critical and creative thinking,” said Superintendent Suzanne Johnson.
  “The Illinois Future Problem Solving Bowl was held in Bloomington-Normal in April. Each year’s competition centers around a unique topic; for 2024, the topic was autonomous transportation…. Following their success at the state level, the U-46 students advanced to the international competition held on the campus of Indiana University in June, where they tackled the topic of air quality,” a district press release stated.
  In the senior division, Neda Bazys of Bartlett High won the individual competition at state and Michelle Cardozo of Elgin High along with Nishi Sheth and Katelyn Wong of Bartlett High won the team competition.
  Zinnia Saher, then of Elgin’s Larsen Middle but now a freshman at Bartlett High, won the individual state competition in the middle division and was a member of the team competition that took first. That team included Andrew Punnoose and Sophia Lee, both then from Larsen and now freshmen at Elgin High, as well as Aiken Navarro, then of Elgin’s Ellis Middle and now a Streamwood High freshman.
  “Some of the problems we solved were problems including Antarctica and ice melting,” Bazys told the board. “We’ve also done a bunch about autonomous transportation, mining, e-waste and clothing. And we all took part in solving all these problems, and we really like it because it makes us use our creative side that we don't always use in school.”