Student Voices/A Personal Reflection: Forging the Next Generation of Leaders and Innovators through Involvement in the FPSPI

By  Naima Faraj-Hottenroth

Secondary V student

Royal West Academy  

Many students are branded as “gifted,” but what does this truly mean? For me, in elementary school, it meant that I was not challenged by the curriculum, and often found myself bored, distracted, and demotivated in class. My school, like many others, focused on building a strong support system for students who needed extra time or extra teaching, to ensure that no one would get left behind. Fairly so! However, myself and a few of my classmates often felt that we lacked the support we needed to thrive in the school environment, not because we needed more time on the curriculum but because we needed more enrichment and stimulation once we had exceeded the regular curriculum’s demands. 

Students at last summer's competition, including Naimia with the purple hair.

My decision to attend Royal West Academy for high school was in large part driven by this desire for a more challenging and engaging learning environment. And indeed, Royal West did provide this challenge, and more, in large part thanks to enrichment programs offered through the EMSB’s Gifted and Exceptional Learners mandate, whose dual goal is “ to help bright and talented students achieve their high potential and to provide the society with educated professionals” (Dr. Birlean, personal communication)

One of the enrichment initiatives in which I have participated for the last three years is Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS). It is part of a larger program called Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI), which has been around for just over 50 years but has only been in Canada for three. I feel lucky enough to have been selected for this program, as it has been one of the highlights of my high school experience since then. Founded in 1974 by Dr. E. Paul Torrence, FPSPI aims to teach students the creative problem-solving process as well as how to apply it to imminent real-world issues that will be faced by our society in the next two or three decades. For example, over the last few years, we have discussed rising sea levels, challenges concerning Antarctica, autonomous transportation, the increasing robotic workforce, and even the video game industry. GIPS is one of four competitive programs at FPSPI, and it focuses on teamwork and collaboration to create the best and most humanitarian solutions. Its goal is to give us tools to work together, to improve the world, to resolve challenges we will be facing as we graduate and enter the workforce. The format of this competition keeps the students engaged, encouraged, and somehow hopeful in the face of the most daunting issues of our time.

Throughout the school year, there are two practice competitions, two qualifying competitions, and one final international competition that takes place in the United States and hosts students from fourteen countries. For the last two years and for this year as well, the competition will be held at Indiana University. Royal West was the first Canadian high school to participate in this competition, and in every year of our participation, we have sent at least one team all the way to the final level. I have had the personal opportunity to attend twice, and both times were some of the most enriching and inspiring trips on which I have ever been. Slowly, this program is gaining more attention in Montreal, and hopefully it will spread across Canada. 

However, last year saw budget cuts from the school board that nearly prevented us from being able to continue GIPS at all. When it comes to special education, enrichment programs are unfortunately last to be implemented and first to be axed when faced with budget cuts. My own experience can be testament to their importance, especially at the elementary school level, which often are the starting point of “Gifted Kid Burnout” or demotivation for students who are not pushed enough by the regular curriculum. These enrichment programs, and FPSPI in particular, are so important, because not only do they provide needed stimulation and enrichment for students who find themselves bored in class, but they also help form the next generation of leaders, creative thinkers, and innovators. They expose students to increasingly relevant topics to our present and future and give us the tools to make an impact on our world. They teach us how to deconstruct a large issue into manageable steps, a skill useful beyond competitive spaces. Last, but not least, they showcase inspiring Canadian talent on an international level. I encourage every school to bring GIPS to their students, so they can also experience its impact for themselves.