The Examiner U-46 News Feed

U-46 students recognized for problem solving skills

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46, at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 11, recognized 15 students for their success in problem solving competitions.
  All 15 won competitions at the Illinois Future Problem Solving Bowl last April in Bloomington-Normal, and 11 went on to win the Community Problem Solver category at the Future Problem Solvers International Competition in June at the University of Massachusetts. Ellen Smith, a fourth grade teacher at Streamwood’s Glenbrook Elementary School, coached at the state competition while Madhuri Ganne and Uma Sangam, parent volunteers, coached at the international competition.
  The 11 students who won at the international event were Bartlett High School’s Yuvan Ganne, Nishi Sheth, Jaivir Singh, Krish Soni and Katelyn Wong along with Elgin High School’s Mannat Ashta, Michelle Cardozo, Veer Gupta, Risha Lakkadi and Svanik Yachavaram and Andrew Punnoose of Elgin’s Larsen Middle School
  At the state competition, four students received the Bucky Award including Punnoose, Sophia Lee and Zinnia Saher of Larsen and Aiken Navarro of Elgin’s Ellis Middle School.
  The Bucky Award is “named for architect and inventor Buckminster Fuller,” said Superintendent Suzanne Johnson, and is awarded “for their creative and futuristic solution to a problem.”
  Saher also placed first in the middle level and Bartlett’s Neda Bazys first at the senior level for the Global Issue Problem Solving individual competition at state.
  The competitions are connected to Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) which is “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,” Johnson said.
  FPSPI’s website states: “Future Problem Solving (FPS) teaches a unique six-step problem solving process which can be applied in the real world, in local and global communities, as well as in future societies. This six-step model teaches critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Coaches and Teachers can teach the FPS problem solving model to their students in a classroom setting, in an after school program, or at home for home schoolers.”