Canton Problem Solvers shine at Mass. State Bowl

On Saturday, April 5, five teams and seven individuals from Canton competed at the Future Problem Solving (FPS) State Bowl at Babson College in Wellesley. FPS is an international program that encourages students to think critically and creatively about issues. The topic at this year’s State Bowl was Land Transportation — specifically the overburdened land transportation system in Beijing. Teams, usually consisting of four students, are categorized in one of three divisions: junior (grades 4-6), middle (grades 7-9), and senior (grades 10-12).

Mary Kelley, Sohil Apte, David Walker and Daniel Stark

At the State Bowl, FPS teams worked together to write a six-step booklet in two hours about a given topic. Students were then given an hour and a half to prepare a skit based on their Action Plan that addressed their solution to the land transportation problem. Dressed in elaborate costumes made of tin foil, streamers, hula-hoops, lampshades and other props, the teams enthusiastically showcased their solutions.

In the Global Issues team competition, the Canton High School grade 12 team, consisting of Lizzie Crespi, Pranathi Ganni, Alicia Healey, and Katie Thomas and coached by Susan Crespi, earned a trip to the International Competition at Iowa State University after placing second in the booklet competition and first in the action plan presentation.

Another CHS team, consisting of ninth graders Christine Lee and Meryl Prendergast and coached by Jen Prendergast, had a similarly impressive finish in the middle division, placing second in the booklet competition and first in the action plan presentation.

In the junior division, the Kennedy School fifth grade team of Valerie Casimir, Olivia Chinsen, Jackie Morrissey, and Beth Truong placed third in the booklet competition and second in the action plan presentation. The team was coached by CHS seniors Lizzie Crespi, Pranathi Ganni, and Sage Lee.

Also placing in the top three were two teams from the Galvin Middle School. The sixth grade team of Sohil Apte, Mary Kelley, Daniel Stark, David Walker, and coach Sameer Apte finished second in the booklet competition, while fellow sixth graders Sophia D’Alto, Arielle Galinsky, Katie Lynch and Lydia Prendergast, coached by Michelle Lynch and Jen Prendergast, finished third in the action plan competition.

In the individual competition, GMS sixth grader Anvitha Addanki earned a bid to internationals with a first-place finish, while Hansen School fifth grader Christopher Cummings placed third. Addanki was coached by his father, Vijay, and Cummings was coached by Janice Troy.

Also competing at the State Bowl as individuals were fourth graders Julia Capraro, Piper Robinson, and Grace Sweetland, fifth grader Michael Doucette, and sixth grader Daniel Sweetland. All seven of these courageous individuals wrote the FPS booklet by themselves.

Another component of the FPS program is Community Problem Solving (CmPS), which encourages students to proactively apply their FPS skills to real problems in their community. The students identify a community problem that exists within their school, local community, state, region, or nation and implement a plan of action.

Representing Canton in the CmPS competition were two teams from Canton High School, and both advanced to the upcoming International Competition.

Jackie Morrissey, Olivia Chinsen, Beth Truong, and Valerie Casimir

The CHS grade 12 team, consisting of Lizzie Crespi, Pranathi Ganni, and Sage Lee and coached by Susan Crespi, placed first in the senior division for their project entitled P.E.P.S. (Promoting and Expanding Problem Solving).

In the junior division, the CHS ninth grade team placed second with their Band-Aide project. The team was coached by Renee Hanscom and consisted of Sean Hanscom, Selena Cho, Dasol Lee, Meryl Prendergast, and Forest Schmid.

Congratulations to all of the Canton FPS participants! The students would like to thank all of the parents and coaches who have dedicated their time and effort to this worthwhile program. Special thanks to co-coordinators Sue Bronstein and Susan Crespi for all of their hard work and to Marilyn Harris for her continued support for the program. Good luck to those competing at internationals!

Submitted by Lizzie Crespi, Pranathi Ganni, and Sage Lee

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Posted by Canton Citizen on May 1 2014. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.