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Student Work: World Solutions Challenge – Supplemental Item Examples

In the World Solutions Challenge, students submit an action plan describing their solution and a supplemental item supporting their action plan. Teams of 2 to 4 students in junior grades 5 to 6 (ages 10-12) and middle grades 7 to 8 (ages 12-14) address a topic and solve for the biggest problem they find. In 2026, the supplemental item is required and may be a video of up to 3 minutes, an audio file of up to 3 minutes, or up to 4 pages of diagrams or graphics.

Below are samples of supplemental items submitted during the 2025 World Solutions Challenge addressing the topic of Rising Sea Levels.

Diagrams or Graphics

Super Absorbent Flood Barrier (Middle)

Auto Orca, The Robot (Middle)

Smart Eco-Tank System | Building Wetlands so More Can Live (Junior)

Large-Scale Kelp Farms | Smart Drains | Floating Cities and Sea Walls | The Natura murus or Natural Wall (Junior)

Improve and Build Infrastructure (Middle)

Encouraging the Public to Save Electricity and Water (Middle)

The Smart Levee | Parametric Payouts for Livelihood Continuity (Middle)

Audio files

The Coastal Green Shield Initiative (Junior)

Parametric Payouts for Livelihood Continuity (Middle)

Videos

Team Incredibles (Junior)

Adaptive Solutions Gamification (Middle)

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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.