St. Anne Students Win Future Problem Solving State Bowl

Submitted by Jennifer Small, Marketing & Communications Officer, St. Anne School:

After a year of research, practice, and collaborative teamwork, the hard work and dedication of students at St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel reaped rewards at the Future Problem Solving State Bowl in San Jose, April 20-21. The St. Anne team of Grace Aitken, Sean Sullivan, Elle Peloso, and Kiley Espineira took first place in the Junior Division for Global Issues Problem Solving for their insight and action plan regarding plastics in the ocean.

Throughout the year, the students researched a variety of topics from the culture of celebrity to megacities and explored their social, political, economic, and technological implications. They then brainstormed and explored the challenges posed by each topic and completed the process by detailing and evaluating potential solutions. Their analysis and solutions were reviewed by a panel of judges, and 16 teams from schools across California advanced to the state level of competition.

Twenty-eight qualifying students from St. Anne School traveled to San Jose this past weekend to take part in the state competition. St. Anne students also placed exceptionally in the Action Plan Presentation sub-competition, taking first and second place in the Junior Division and second place in the Middle Division.

St. Anne School will represent the State of California as the top seeded Junior Division team in the Future Problem Solving International Competition at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, June 6-9. Thousands of students from more than a dozen countries compete annually in the Future Problem Solving International program.

“St. Anne had an incredible showing this weekend at the State level, and we are so excited to move on to International,” says Kanchan Dudani, 4th Grade Teacher and Future Problem Solving Coach at St. Anne School. “I couldn’t be more proud of the students for their success this weekend and everything they accomplished!”

Future Problem Solving (www.fpspi.org) is an international program dedicated to developing the ability of young people to design and promote positive futures using critical, creative thinking. It stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, encourages students to develop a vision for the future, and prepares students for leadership roles through a scenario-based competition.

About St. Anne School:

St. Anne School is an independent Catholic school located in Laguna Niguel, Calif. The school fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 800 students in grades preschool through eight, providing unparalleled academics and extracurricular activities designed to challenge, educate and nurture the whole child. Founded in 1992, St. Anne School is a National Blue Ribbon School and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA), and the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). www.st-anne.org