Students headed to international Future Problem Solvers competition

IOWA CITY — A group of Hoover Elementary students has been pretty preoccupied lately with renewable fuels.

That's because the four — sixth-graders Jonah Bullock, Aizay Etler and Maddie Schuh and fifth-grader Ella Sherlock — are heading to the international Future Problem Solvers competition in East Lansing, Mich., which starts June 1. During a two-hour session, they will be asked to use a six-part framework to make their way through a mock scenario dealing with the energy of the future. They then will be judged against other teams from around the world on their response to the problems that crop up from the scenario.

'It's such a valuable skill to think through problems and understand what are the underlying causes and to be empowered to find solutions,' said Stacey Hockett Sherlock, Ella's mother and the coach of the Hoover Elementary Future Problem Solvers club.

Sherlock, who took part in Future Problem Solvers when she was in fifth and sixth grade in West Des Moines, is in her second year of coaching the Hoover group, which meets after school.

'Whoever wants to join can join,' Sherlock said. 'I wanted to do something really positive and have the kids leave the program feeling really empowered to make a difference in a positive way.'

This year, 14 students took part in the club. They were divided into three teams, which took part in competitions at the regional and state levels. Jonah, Aizay, Maddie and Ella won their division at the state competition in April in Ames, earning a trip to the international competition.

Hoover Elementary is the only school in the Iowa City school district that has a Future Problem Solvers group, but there also is a group for Iowa City home-schooled students that is coached by Paula Lawson Moore.

Sherlock said all of the Hoover students bring different qualities and talents to Future Problem Solvers. Aizay, for example, is very creative, while Jonah describes himself as a 'walking encyclopedia' who has a penchant for remembering the smallest details.

'I hope they are learning to appreciate the differences in their fellow teammates,' Sherlock said.

In preparation for the international competition, all of the Future Problem Solvers affiliates were asked to do a community project. The Hoover students decided to hold a snack sale and raise money for the people in Flint, Mich., who had lead in their drinking water. Sherlock said the students ended up raising $316.

Also at the competition, the Hoover group will be paired with groups from Turkey and New York City for socialization purposes.

'We are really excited to meet these students,' Sherlock said.