ICS Entrepreneurship provides students, parents, and educators with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to be successful in entrepreneurship competitions. The biggest dilemma young entrepreneurs face is the matter of solving a problem for their customers, which is why we are collaborating with Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) to show students how to use their problem-solving skills to address real problems and make an impact with their entrepreneurial endeavors.

Read on to learn how students in both Community Problem Solving and Global Issues Problem Solving Competitions have worked together in each of the FPSPI age divisions Junior (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12) to tackle real-world issues.

Community Problem Solving 2021:

In the Community Problem Solving Competition, students solved prevalent problems in their communities, focusing on topics such as civic and cultural issues, education, environment, and health. After identifying their focus, they conducted research, met with local professionals and authorities, and created a plan to combat the issue and create a positive impact. Take a look at the 2021 winners in each division below for examples of how students of all ages are fostering change in their communities.

Junior Division Grand Champion: Project Food Waste Champs

Taylor Elementary, Texas

After noticing the amount of food waste in their elementary school cafeteria, these students researched the amount of food wasted each year worldwide and its negative environmental effects. After looking at ways they could confront this problem, Project Food Waste Champs decided on a school-wide composting program.

Middle School Division Grand Champion: HOPE

William H. Galvin Middle School, Massachusetts

Inspired by seeing their peers affected by the spread of COVID-19, HOPE confronts the lack of meaningful social interaction that children have experienced during the pandemic. HOPE, or Helping Out People on Edge, brings this mission to life by organizing both virtual and in-person events where kids can reconnect and have fun.

Senior Division Grand Champion: BY2 Be Yourself Brand Yourself

Matanzas High School, Florida

Knowing that most colleges and universities want a holistic look at their applicants and can often choose to accept or decline admission based on a student’s social media posts, BY2 set out with the goal to help high school students understand how to create a positive and useful social media presence. Through classes, flyers, PSAs, and more, BY2 is dedicated to helping their peers be accepted into their dream schools and get a safe and healthy handle on social media use.

Global Issues Problem Solving 2021:

In the Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS), students think creatively about the future and must apply a six-step creative problem-solving process to a given research topic. All of these winners in the Junior Division looked at the topic of neurotechnology treatments, procedures, and potential side effects. After being given 4 example scenarios of how brain implants have affected patients, students have to identify an underlying problem and develop an action plan for future use of the neurotechnology. Winners in this category looked at the issues from the perspective of education, ethics, law and order, physical health, social relationships, ethics and religion, business and commerce, and more.

Problem Solving and Entrepreneurship

After looking at these impressive solutions to real-world problems, you still may ask: what does problem solving have to do with entrepreneurship? Well, the two are inherently intertwined: entrepreneurs exist to solve problems for their customers. Similar to how these FPSPI winners analyzed a problem and gave detailed solutions, entrepreneurs assess issues affecting a group of people and devise a profitable solution to help them.

Learn more about how you can use Future Problem Solving International’s tools for problem solvers in future entrepreneurship endeavors and competitions in our upcoming webinar, Entrepreneurial Problem Solving, on April 12 at 6pm EST. High school students, parents, and educators can register at the following link: https://www.competitionsciences.org/product/entrepreneurial-problem-solving-workshop/