Dubbo students win national Future Problem Solving finals and qualify for the international competition in the USA
Students from the Central West Leadership Academy in Dubbo have placed first in their respective categories in the Future Problem Solving national finals this weekend. These students will go on to present Australia at the FPS International Finals in Massachusetts in June 2023.
The Academy Year 10 team (George Ashcroft, Carrigan Baker, and Noah Randell) placed first in Australia for their Community Problem Solving entry “Democratising Democracy” where they created step by step easy to follow guides to help people know how to run for local government. This project was done to address a distinct lack of diversity in NSW local governments.
Year 10 Academy student, Finn Randell, came First in the Individual category for Community Problem Solving. Finn completed a Reconciliation Project where he worked in conjunction with CSU Indigenous Studies Department to record podcasts of local Elders lived histories. This podcast Series is called Capturing our Histories and he interviewed 5 local Elders and produced 3 podcast episodes.
Riverbank Frank
Ronnie Gibbs
Aunty Marg Walker
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fkTPGzcF6qQvZ1LbvC2A3?si=37d1f87bfc0f4816
The Future Problem Solving program is a research-based, academic program that teaches problem solving strategies, collaboration, critical and creative thinking, and effective communication. The interdisciplinary approach helps develop ethical leadership skills and provides a unique opportunity for students to learn and apply essential life skills in the 21st century.
Noah Randell, Community Problem Solving Team Representative said, “A thriving town relies on a strong connection between the council members and community, and feeling excluded can cause community disenfranchisement from council affairs. This sort of real world learning is absolutely essential for developing strong leadership skills and building confidence and empathy with your community.”
Both Academy entries will represent Australia at the International Future Problem Solving Finals at the University of Massachusetts in the USA on June 8-10 in 2023.
This is the second time a school west of the Blue Mountains has qualified for the international competition- both 2022 and 2023 are Academy students.
Principal of the Academy, Ms Mandi Randell was extremely proud of the students' efforts and the outcome they achieved, saying “Our school values the ‘6 Cs’ of critical thinking, creativity, citizenship, communication, coding and technology and collaboration. Our Year 10 students chose an issue that mattered to them and we helped them craft a community change project. It took extensive research, teamwork, community engagement and project management over three terms. The two achievements demonstrate the Academy’s students excel in all 6Cs which are important for success and we are proud to be developing best-in-the-nation students right here in Dubbo.”
