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  3. 8 Community Projects display tips dos and don’ts
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  3. 8 Community Projects display tips dos and don’ts

8 Community Projects display tips dos and don’ts

The goal of a display is to describe the project to the audience, capturing their attention and sharing the project’s goals and accomplishments. At our world finals, attendees get a chance to see all of the project displays at our Community Projects showcase.

Bonus Tip
Our global audience is diverse. Be sure to structure your display so that someone who does not know you or your community can understand the context of your work.

DOs

Plan ahead

We encourage students to plan how they will create their board ahead of time. At the International Conference, every project receives a standard trifold board that must be used as the basis of the display.

Some successful planning ahead strategies we have observed:

  • Applying hook and loop fasteners to materials that students later affix to the board.
  • Creating a labeling system of every item, with a hand-drawn version of the display to refer to when setting up.
  • Printing two copies of any material needed for the board, just in case.

Get creative with materials

Use materials in unexpected ways. SCAMPER is a good thinking tool for brainstorming different ways to use your materials.

Show off your accomplishments

Students should highlight the impact their project has had on their community and the progress they have made to their goals. Pictures with captions can highlight big moments in the project.

Be clear

Pictures and graphics can enhance the visual appeal of your display. Students often print out pages of text to cut and arrange on the board. Be sure to have your text large enough to read and to include captions and labels on images.

DON’Ts

Forget your materials

When you practice and plan your display, make note of the materials you use so that you can remember to pack them. Students often bring tape, glue, markers, paint, contact paper, tablecloths, rulers, staplers, string, foam pieces, printouts, pushpins, and more.

Forget to plan for power

If you choose to integrate an electronic display, lights, or any other device that needs power, you must provide your own power source. If traveling by plane, check with your airline about how to travel safely with power supplies.

Forget to share your obstacles

Problem solving is at the core of our programs. Students are encouraged to share the obstacles they have faced and overcome throughout their work.

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April Michele

April Michele Bio

Executive Director

A seasoned educator, April Michele has served as the Executive Director since 2018 and been with Future Problem Solving more than a decade. Her background in advanced curriculum strategies and highly engaging learning techniques translates well in the development of materials, publications, training, and marketing for the organization and its global network. April’s expertise includes pedagogy and strategies for critical and creative thinking and providing quality educational services for students and adults worldwide.

Prior to joining Future Problem Solving, April taught elementary and middle grades, spending most of her classroom career in Gifted Education. She earned the National Board Certification (NBPTS) as a Middle Childhood/Generalist and later served as a National Board Assessor for the certification of others. She was trained and applied the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Humanities, which helped widen the educational scope and boundaries beyond the U.S. In addition, April facilitated the Theory and Development of Creativity course for state level certification of teachers. She has also collaborated on a variety of special projects through the Department of Education.

A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s in Elementary Education and the University of South Florida with a master’s in Gifted Education, April’s passion is providing a challenging curriculum for 21st century students so they are equipped with the problem solving and ethical leadership skills they need to thrive in the future. As a board member in her local Rotary Club, she facilitates problem solving in leadership at the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute and earned her certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Edyth Bush Institute at Rollins College.