"FPSPI selected Ames and Iowa State University because it is a beautiful, safe and welcoming community that has a variety of facilities, entertainment options and the support of both the university and the community, to make our international conference a success," said Marianne Solomon, executive director for the Future Problem Solving Program International. "Ames and Iowa State also have the professional event staff and volunteers who will take care of all the details and provide the services that will make our event run smoothly and be an enjoyable experience for everyone."
The Future Problem Solving Program International gives thousands of students the opportunity to practice creative problem solving within the given curriculum and develop leadership and creative thinking skills. The event will bring students from across the United States and from countries around the world to Iowa State University to compete in the event. The participating countries include Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Turkey and the United States.
Students in grades 4 through 12 will compete within three components including Global Issues Problem Solving, Community Problem Solving and Scenario Writing, competing either as individuals or as teams. Each component gives students the opportunity to apply research, writing skills, academics, research and problem solving skills to hypothetical and real life scenarios and issues. During this event, there will be opportunities for the community to enjoy the students' hard work. There will be a community fair and a variety show that the public is encouraged to attend.
"As a youth-focused educational conference, the Future Problem Solving International Conference is an event we are very excited to host in Ames and at Iowa State University," said Julie Weeks, director of the Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Conference Planning and Management. "The event is expected to bring 2,000 attendees and hundreds of additional visitors to the Ames community for an average of five nights each year during June 2014 and 2015."
"We are very excited that Iowa State University and Ames will be the host for the international conference in 2014 and 2015," said Karen Dadisman, affiliate director, Iowa Future Problem Solving Program." It is very fitting that we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Future Problem Solving Program International in Iowa in 2014, since Iowa was one of the original states to participate in this program."
For more information, visit www.fpspi.org or www.iowafutureproblemsolving.
For more information, please contact:
Julie Weeks
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau
Conference Planning and Management and
Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau
Director
