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Step 0: How to research before Step 1 checklist

Future Problem Solving Research Infographic

Students first prepare for the Global Issues competition by researching and analyzing our annual topics. Successful students develop background knowledge, read current events, and study domain-specific vocabulary. When students read the provided future scene, a solid understanding of a topic is a competitive advantage.

Annual Topics
You can visit the Topics Center for all our topics. This year’s competition topics schedule can be found on the Real World Issues page.

Students and coaches are encouraged to use many resources when starting research.

Future Problem Solving resources

  • Topics Center – Students and coaches can learn more about each topic page, which includes a description and suggested readings organized by major themes. 
  • Research units – In our research units, you will find curated topic-specific research, vocabulary, curated articles with summaries, online resources, and assessment activities to support acquisition of topic knowledge.
  • Activity units – Coaches looking for activities to use with students to teach and reinforce the 6-steps should purchase activity units! You will find engaging lesson plans and student activities for each step of the problem-solving process.
  • Expert panel webinars – Organized by our Student Advisory Group, panels are announced through our mailing list and on our social media. You can watch previous panels on our Youtube channel.
  • Social media – On Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, we share tips, learning opportunities, and more!

There are many resources available to students, coaches, and parents. Consider these as you research:

  • Your local or school librarian 
  • Books, magazines, periodicals 
  • Podcasts and videos
  • Google News alerts for topic terms
  • Local businesses, museums, and nonprofits 
  • Guest speakers

Note on perspective

We encourage all students to explore topics from a variety of angles and perspectives. You should be looking toward the future and what may happen, not only what has already happened.

Future Problem Solving is committed to being inclusive of a range of perspectives and does not endorse any single viewpoint. We advise coaches to review their educational organization’s policies on appropriate content and to screen any material before sharing with students.

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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.